BioMutation
by Invader Zim1
Summary: A group of teenagers find themselves the sole survivors of a town infected with a mysterious virus, all of the citizens have been turned into ravenous zombies, it is up to the survivors of Gaines to escape. R&R.
1. Gaines Is Damned

Foreword: The following story you are about to read was not created by me, but by City off the Dead. I have received permission from its creator to place it here. The best writers of Umbrella-inc.com gathered to create this fantastic ongoing fiction.

We do not own Resident Evil or its characters. Names or words that you see before some paragraphs such as Joker (Ryan Bartlett), City of the Dead (Jarred Orr), Jill Valentine (Vanessa Jade-Rose Williams), Claire Redfield (Samantha Winsor), Carlos Oliveira (Nathan Law), Hypnos P-Type (J. Paul de Vrijer), Ark Thompson (Shawn), Dr. William Birkin (David Sunderland), Shadow (John Russo), Infinity-X (Alexandra Temple), and Dante (Dwayne Summers) are the people who wrote that part of the story, including their character which is in parenthesis. Some characters are never seen again and/or some names (from above) you might not see frequently (due to quitting or they didn't have the time). 

The following story(ies) were reviewed by me and I only made a few changes (spelling, capitalization, italics, un-censoring, word changes such as there to their and so on, etc.). If you notice something is wrong, damn my computer then. Any questions, comments, etc. you can write in the review section. 

Since this story was incredibly long, I broke it up into chapters.

BioMutation

City of the Dead

November 22, 2001

5:45 P.M.

Warren High School, lobby

The lobby was a grand display of classic architecture, a warehouse sized room crafted out of Marble and oak, it had been renovated a lot throughout the years, but still hadn't managed to lose its splendor. A stone trophy case sat directly in the center of the room, housing several gold trophies and awards. The wall lamps, the lights that shown on the trophy case, and the windows provided what little light the room had. A wide concrete stairwell lead up to the second floor landing, which, like the floor below it, had doors leading to the school's major hallways.

Jarred Orr sat atop the stairwell, J. Paul de Vrijer and Vanessa Jade-Rose Williams walked around the first floor. Jarred ran into the two about half an hour ago while wandering the halls. He knew who they were, he had talked to Paul on several occasions during study hall, mostly about explosives and weapons, and he always had a little crush on Vanessa. All in all, for the first time in his life, he was glad he wasn't alone.

"We need to get out of here" Paul said out loud, his voice echoing throughout the massive room.

"Yeah, but how? We can't just head outside unarmed, its going to be night soon" Jarred said from atop the stairs.

"Do you think that there is anyone left?" Vanessa asked Paul.

"I....I....I don't know" Paul said.

Paul rubbed his hand through his spiked black hair, trying to think of what to do, he had never seen anything like this before, zombies, what the hell do you do when the people you see everyday turn into mindless, blood-thirsty zombies? The thought of it still sounded silly.

__

Zombies, why not bring out the vampires, witches, and gremlins?

Vanessa leaned against the trophy case, trying not to think about the horrible things she had seen in the past twenty-four hours, tried not to think about Mr. Henderson and the way he tore into that receptionist, feasting on her flesh as she screamed in pain.

She pulled out a hair band and tied her long auburn hair back in a ponytail, it kept getting in her eyes, and in a situation like this, she needed to be aware of everything.

"Hey, I've got an idea" Jarred abruptly yelled, startling both Paul and Vanessa "The campus cop security room, I've been in there before" Jarred said.

"Why am I not surprised?" Vanessa jokingly yelled back.

"No, there's a weapon locker in there, maybe it still has something in it" Jarred said walking down the stairs, joining up with them. "And plus, we can check the security monitors for any other survivors" He added.

"Yeah, you're right, I've been there before as well, they probably have some pistols or something in there" Paul said.

"You guys know where this room is?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, its on the second floor" Jarred said to Vanessa.

"Okay, it's worth a shot" She said.

CRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The indistinguishable sound of breaking glass shattered the silence of the hall, followed by the dreadful inhuman moans Jarred, Paul, and Vanessa have become very familiar with. Zombies outside had broken through the windows.

"That's our cue to leave, come on, to the second floor" Paul yelled to Jarred and Vanessa. The zombies began spilling in from the windows. Jarred hopped the stairs, skipping a step every leap, Vanessa right behind him. They made it to the landing on the second floor and ran into one of Warren's many hallways...

Jill Valentine

The eager, hungry groans from the zombies grew distant as Jarred, Paul and Vanessa leapt up onto the second floor. Hesitating on which direction to take, Jarred sharply turned in to the next hall that intersected with two others at the end of the corridor. Breathlessly, they entered the most secure room in the building; fearful of what mutation they would encounter next.

"What's happening?!" Vanessa demanded, looking at the two for answers.

"I dunno...If I knew then I'd be outta here already, without you!" Paul replied, with a slight tremble in his deep, masculine tone.

"We have to stick together guys," Jarred suddenly announced, with a sense of determination in his voice. "Don't give up hope now, we can still make it. Paul, help me move this shelf against the door, will you?"

Paul nodded, as he and Jarred, in one swift movement, pushed the shelf securely against the door, barricading the entry from the exit.

"What's that over there?"Paul asked, peering over into the small opening that stood within center of the surrounding walls. It appeared to be some sort of opening that enabled people to transport certain objects from floor to floor. In the hole, there lay a stable slice of pinewood, firmly gripped by a thick rope, which seemed to have been held up from the top floor, channeled by a lining of aluminum. It looked stable enough to hold heavy objects as large as 100 pounds.

"It looks like some sort of laundry chute...do you think one of you could fit in there?" Jarred asked, closely examining the opening.

Both Paul and Jarred turned to Vanessa, realizing that in all sense, with her petite frame, she was the only one who was able to fit in there.

"Oh..no I am not going in there!" Vanessa cried, walking towards the exit.

"Vanessa, please, it's the only safe way up onto the third floor!" Jarred pleaded, pulling her back towards the laundry chute.

"He assures you it's safe...and if it breaks...well.. Not like I care but you had a nice life right?" Paul joked, as a mischievous grin slid across his face.

Vanessa narrowed her eyes into an evil glare, not amused at his smart-ass comments.

"Jerk..." she muttered. "Ok I will do it..but what exactly do you want me to do?"

Jarred paused, thinking briefly of a plan that would work well enough to get them out of there safely.

"When you get to the third floor, I want you to find any survivors, and bring them to the mathematics department, which is the third room on the left. When you get there, you will see a large metal door, and that's where the bomb shelter is held."

Vanessa stood silently, feeling extremely cautious of his plan, and whether or not it's success was guaranteed, it was all up to her.

"But how will I contact you? And how am I going to protect myself against those..things?"

Jarred reached into his schoolbag, and pulled out a small cell phone from the front pocket.

"I have mine, and.. you have yours?" He asked, seeing Vanessa pull hers from the top of her skirt.

"And for weapons," Paul announced, handing her a rather large knife, which he grabbed from a small, neat collection from his bag.

"You can use this. It's hell awesome, it'll slice their fingers off and everything!"

Vanessa sighed with relief, as she took the knife gently sliding the handle into the top of her skirt.

"You want my mobile number Jarred?" She asked, stepping closer to the small dark opening which channeled through the center the wall.

"I already have it.." He replied, hearing Paul roar with laughter. "And I will call you in another 10 minutes ok. Just remember to keep an eye out, look for any survivors, and stay away from any strange creatures, got it?"

Vanessa nodded slowly, as she climbed up onto the wooden platform, ready to move up to the next floor.

"ENJOY THE RIDE! DON'T DIE ON THE WAY!" Paul yelled in excitement.

"I will," she quietly muttered to herself. "don't you worry..."

Carlos Oliveira

"This fuckin' sucks" thought Nathan as he paced around the small office in the gym. "Almost graduation day and wham! night of the living dead" he thought again. Things were going so well until he caught his girlfriend Lina cheating on him, then everything went to hell. Again a tear slid down one cheek as he remembered having to put his father down. How he begged and pleaded through tears for his father not to ask him to do it. His Dad was C.I.A. and had moved there recently and brought Nathan down with him after him mother died.

"Why!?! Dad! Why'd you have to do it. You shouldn't have tried to stop them Dad. Why?!?" Nathan screamed through tears. If his father had only left with him when they had the chance, but no. His father said they should be armed. Having practiced enough with his father, Nathan knew the ins and outs of almost any gun. And the solid weight of the 9mm he now held in his trembling hands did nothing to calm him down. First his mother, now his dad, what did he do to deserve this.

__

Son. I know your scared but com' on now. It's time to help out boy. There are others in here without any protection, you should try to help son.

"No." Nathan replied to the voice.

Nathan Law! I raised you better then this. Stop it now! Your 18 not 12, your a man for Christ's sake! Get to it now Son!!

"Yes Sir!" he answered not knowing he did so out loud.

Nathan carefully let his fathers training take over and found the calm center within himself, and cautiously opened the door. In front of him was the scattered remains of the survivors who had made it here only to parish when and infected couple turned. Swiftly he ran towards the door to the hallway. It was time to get outta here and take as many people with him as he could.

"When I get outta here, I'm going back to Canada! Nothin' freaky ever happens there."

And with that said he slipped out into the hallway and into the darkness,....into a place that felt like,.....home.

Hypnos P-type

"Ehmmm...I don't want to be irritating or anything, but if Jill just went up to the third floor and that's the only way up there...how are the survivors ever gonna get to the second floor" Paul asked, smiling, being pleased of his ability of observation.

"Well...actually...I hadn't thought of th-.." Jarred couldn't finish his sentence because some noise interrupted him. The sound seemed to come from further down the hall.

Paul grabbed another knife out of his sleeve like he was a magician and walked further into the half dark hallway. Jarred followed him, grabbing his Cell phone incase they got in trouble.

"Hello? Is anyone alive there? And I do mean alive...If you are a zombie you may skip this question" Paul said into the darkness, he thought it was pretty funny. Jarred faked a smile.

Suddenly a figure stumbled from around the corner..a female figure. "Help me!" The figure said as it reached out her hand towards the duo, almost grabbing Paul's neck. Paul quickly sliced at the hand, cutting it badly. He then kicked the figure and jumped on it. Jarred tried to stop him as the figure didn't look like a zombie to him at all....It looked more like his wounded Biology teacher!! Paul held his hands up high and plunged the knife into her chest: "That's for messing with me! Die zombie die!!".

Mrs VanWood opened her eyes for the last time, she had been damaged because of a gun-toting madman running around the school, and she thought she would be save with these two kids...instead it became her demise.

Paul pulled the knife out again...realizing that he just killed a human being...not a zombie.

"OHH MY GOD!!" Jarred screamed, pressing on the chest wound: "Help me you idiot!!"

"Hold your cool...I know I just made a mistake...but if we didn't find her then she would have probably been eaten by zombies ... off course I am saddened but not in time like this ... people make mistakes you know ... I once...etc" Paul kept ranting on because of the shock, he tried not to care, but inside he was filled with fear.

Jarred kept saying "OMG, OMG!" while pressing on the wound, but the bleeding wouldn't stop. Paul patted him on the shoulder: ""Jarred...I might have failed Biology...but she is pretty dead my friend".

Jarred pushed his arm away:"Bastard! You killed her!!". Jarred released his grip from VanWood's corpse, the idea of holding a dead body sickened him. Jarred stood up: "Let's promise never to mention this to anyone!"

Paul nodded the exact same moment Jarred's cell phone rang. It was Vanessa.

Shadow

John: You have no idea where the hell your going do you, Brian?!

Brian: Shut up, I know exactly where it is...

John: Whatever, dude...where are we going again anyway?

Brian: We're going to the campus cop security room, dumbass.

John: You're sure it was on the 3rd floor right?

Brian: Almost positive.

John: Almost?*John's voice begins to get shaky* What do you mean almost?! You understand the situation we're in don't you?

We're in a building packed with zombies who knows what else!!

Brian: No shit, Sherlock. But if we don't keep our cool, we'll never get outta here alive.

*CRASH*

The sound of breaking glass was heard from down the hall.

*John and Brian stood frozen in the hallway, eyes wide open and arms and legs stiff*

John: Where are you going...?

Brian: Somebody could be in trouble, we should check it out...I guess.

John: What the hell are you talking about? Who gives a shit?

Brian: Fine...stay here then...I'll check it out...

*Brian disappeared into the hallway*

John: *not in a confidence voice*Brian...wait up!

*Brian came running down the hall nearly knocking over John*

Brian: Holy shit dude, run, she's dead, she's dead!!

John: *eyes widened* Who's dead, what's wrong, Brian wait!!

*Brian and John went for the staircase leading back down*

John: What's...wrong...who's dead?

Brian: Miss...miss...Miss Wilson...she's dead man...her eyes...they were gone, and her body...it *holding back tears*...it was horrible. We have to get out of here, that's not gonna happen to me!

John: Miss Wilson...was she a zombie? Is that what we're running from?! Brian...is that what we're run...

*Brian went down a different hallway*

Brian: Where are you going, its this way, hurry up, they're probably right behind us!

*John swung around the corner chasing after Brian*

John: _((He just said "they" didn't he?)) _What's after us Bri?

Brian: It's...it's, this big flock of black birds, at first I thought they were just normal birds, but then one flung her eye up like a grape and swallowed it down...

John: We...we have to get outta here.*looking back john saw something...or some things...they were following them...and they were closing in*

Brian: There's the door, hurry up they're right behind us!

*Brian got to the door first*

Brian looked back at John...John knew what was wrong when he saw the look on Brian's face

Brian: Its...locked, its fuckin' locked!

John: No...it cant be! *John turned the knob*

*Clank, Clank*

It was locked alright and now the birds were right down the hall.

John: Shit I see them...FUCK, they must've locked the door after we came up, we should've never tried this...

Brian: We're dead...aren't, we?

John: ....

Brian: I don't wanna die! Not like this...how much is it gonna hurt?!

The birds were now inches away. Both John and Brian closed there eyes. _Huh? Nothing happened? _The birds were flying in one place, like humming birds...staring at them. The one big bird, looked at Brian and john...like a buffet table, deciding where to start.

*CAW, CAW, CAW*

The big bird screamed, and the rest followed, again moving forward.

Brian: Duck, if we can avoid them we can run around!

*the birds had their beaks open...ready to dig in.

Brian: ...NOW!!!

They both dived down, avoiding the birds. They ran the way they came...

John: What now...run to another dead end?

They both looked at each other..."Dead"...is that the way they would end up...like Miss Wilson?

Brian: The elevator?

John: Is it working?...I doubt it..

Brian: Its either that...or die...which one?

John: *sighing* Lets go...

They ran down the hall, yet again...but this time...

Brian: Whoa...!

Brian was sliding on something...not a liquid...he was sliding on an object.

He looked down...it was a hand...Miss Wilson's hand most likely.

Brian fell...he fell hard.

Brian: ....

John noticed he was now running alone. He looked back and saw Brian...in a pool of blood.

John: Brian?! Brian get up, I'm not going back, man hurry up and get up....damnit!

John went back, and flipped Brian over. His forehead was split open...blood was pouring out. The birds were closing in again.

John: No...Brian, c'mon I'll help ya bud!

John lifted Brian, onto his shoulder. The birds got even closer. He knew what he had to do. He looked at Brian, now pouring blood all over him. He let go. He let go and kept running. He didn't say a word, he just let go and ran. He heard the cawing again...almost like a sign of celebration. He looked back...the big bird seemed to be grinning...no wait...it was a finger, Brian's finger. That was it...Brian was gone, his lifetime friend...ripped apart, by a couple of birds...bastards.

John: Brian...I'm sorry...but I promise, I'll get out of here...

John saw the elevator...the light was on, it worked. Blood was and guts and even a large slash covered the door...but it worked. John noticed one last thing before jumping in...a map, he ripped it off the wall...well half of it anyway, the other half remained on the wall. He was too scared to go back...even thought the birds were "busy".

*on the elevator*

John pressed the button marled "1st floor"

He looked at the map...he noticed something.

It said...

2nd Floor

"Campus Cop Security Room"

John pressed the "2nd Floor button"

John: ....Sorry...Brian...

Claire Redfield

Winsor continued to read _The Complete Tales Of Edgar Allan Poe _from the top of a book shelf in the library. She lifted her head up every now and then to look around and continued to read.

"The world's going to hell and I'm stuck in school," she muttered. She sighed and took another look at the door. Boards covered the solid glass doors. One of the teachers had ran into the room bleeding and screaming. The teacher had hardly noticed her. She was just reading and the teacher was asking her stupid questions. "What are you doing here?" and "Where are your parents?" and "Do you know what's happening?"

__

Yup. Those are pretty stupid questions. And I said "I am waiting for the world to end in the comfort of my sanctuary and I know what's happening. I just don't really give a damn."

As for her parents, though, that was a painful answer. They were dead. They died when she was little and was shipped to an orphanage. Then she started to run away. She ran away from different houses and different "parents".

"And yet I'm still here," she said sadly. She was someone who wanted answers and wanted someone to ask questions. She would love that. She loved to learn and to teach. And she was definitely learning now.

__

Like those zombies. Something is weird about them. Like Mrs. Holmes as she was "changing." Speaking of which, where the hell is she?

As if on cue, a gurgle-like moan came from the opposite book shelf that she was on. She was on top of a book shelf that was by the wall. She watched as two arms appeared on the floor, gripping the carpet. Mrs. Holmes came into view. Her mouth and face emotionless as drool dripped out of her mouth. She let out another pitiful moan and continued to crawl toward the book shelf which she was on. The teacher had lost her glasses and the back of her white blouse was soaked with blood.

Winsor instinctively reached for the metal bat by her black pant legs. She had found it in the locker room before heading toward the library. She hadn't seen any other survivors in the school nor the zombies. But she did see the creatures from one of the windows.

"Just like the movies. Slow and dumb, but determined to find a meal," she said, remembering the man that was outside and the zombies got to him. He was being killed and she ignored his screams, continued with her reading like nothing was happening. And then Mrs. Holmes came in and she helped put up the pathetic barricade on the door.

"You complained that you started to feel sick and then you lunged for me. You wanted me to die with you, but Mr. Bat met your spine. That shut you the hell up."

The zombie continued to crawl to her book shelf, leaving a bloody trail behind her.

"But there has to be other survivors. I heard footsteps before. I heard a window brake. Damn this school's glass doors."

She looked up, tired of waiting. She was getting out of here. A vent was above her and she smiled. She took her hands and started to pull on the vent latch. The door opened and she slowly rose up into the vent. She pushed her bookbag inside along with her bat and finally herself.

"Hmm, algebra was never my best subject so tell me this. If a book shelf leans 35 degrees to the right and there is about 300 pounds of books on the shelf, what is the acceleration rate of the books killing you?"

She took her bat and slid it behind the back of the book shelf and pushed on it. The book shelf started to lean and fell. Mrs. Holmes let out another moan and the book shelf crushed her, bringing the book shelf right next to it to the ground as well.

She quickly moved back into the vent, cursing to herself for no reason at all as she crawled on all fours through the metal surroundings. Her steps and voice echoed through the vent, only giving her a feeling of hope that she would survive.

Ark Thompson

The soft metallic beat repeating sounded within the melody of such a slow song from Modest Mouse called "Dramamine". The headphones were placed upon his dirty-blonde cranium, and he sat at a desk with his face down into the carvings of a maker from the previous days of the week. Mr. Ford should die. Etched deeply into the wooded surface of the desk. Yes, they did get their wish. Mr. Ford was still in the room alright.

Mr. Ford, lifelessly, sinking in his leather chair in front of the class room. His eyes rolling further into the back of his head and those yellow teeth were showing from the massive opening of his jaw. Each finger gripping into the plastic arm rest, struggling for the life he once lost a couple of hours ago.

__

Damn your Advanced Mathematics to hell. Shawn mumbled, pulling himself up into the chair. His right hand soon had come up to shift the headphones above his highlighted, slick, blonde strands. His head turned from the emotionless stare back at the dead teacher, and upon his acoustic Schecter that laid within his guitar pack. Blinking his glance back into the opposite direction, his attention went from distant to musical chords, as his fingers rolled up into a pattern, playing the song invisibly.

He stood up from the chair finally, pounding his palms into the crumbling desk before him, attempting to stand up. _I brought too much. Only for a early year's end. _The skateboard was slammed by his right heel at the backside, erectly moving up so that his hands to grasp at the front of it, placing it underneath his arm and to the side of his chest. Cradling underneath the thick fleece from the world's populous store, American Eagle, with a hint of GAP shirts underneath. Baggy, cargo pants adorned his legs to where the ends flopped slightly overtop his sneakers.

The quicker beat of the proceeding song on the list rumbled in his ears. His favorite song made him smile as things would pass through his mind. Little was he afraid, but as well, alert. His free hand rolled over the pocket knife within his pant leg. He grinned, heading toward the door of the well-lit room. Hazel oculus studied his moment's reflection into the small window of the door. He just stared at himself as the song was coming to an end finally. A left hand jerked the headphones from his head and pushed them down, hugging at his neck.

Now, looking through his mirrored self, an eyeing of some figure within the shadows walked by, almost stumbling off its own feet. Swallowing lightly, he blinked away, hoping this was some kind of joke. Second floors are impossible to be treaded upon with the living dead.. no.. this did not happen in Dawn of the Dead. Heaving a hold at his guitar bag and a shoulder into the door to open it, a clash of undistinguishable sounds erupted from behind. He gasped, without looking back, he feared for his life and went down the darkened halls of the school upon the second floor. Nodding, he thought once more of story advantages. Next one up shouldn't have any of the dead ...?

He located the stairs from a nearby door and ascended up the numerous steps to where he could push through the next door. He heard someone's voice somewhere on the floor. Couldn't be noticeable, yet. Walking down the halls, the flats of his shoes tapped over the shiny, tiled grounds. Timid to speak up for himself. "H-hello?"

Joker

Standing beside the door to the science department was a solitary figure, desperately trying to control his heart rate and, more importantly, the sheer fear he was experiencing. That figure was Ryan Bartlett.

He had just been sitting quietly, waiting for Mr. Rutherford to ask where his physics homework was. It wasn't that bad, he just had to think of yet another excuse. He had trouble in the family, but Rutherford was such a hard-ass about work that he'd never get away with that.

"So, let's see... who is yet to present their homework? Ryan Bartlett? Where's your Kinetic Theory work?"

Ryan looked up at Mr. Rutherford. An unremarkable man, so uncharismatic that Ryan wondered how his parents were influenced to conceive him. "Perhaps they were forced to screw at gunpoint...", Ryan thought to himself, trying to stifle his laughter.

"Oh, you've 'forgotten' again, haven't you?", Mr. Rutherford said with a smirk. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you at recess. Er, let's see... Michelle Callaway, where's yours?"

Michelle got up and wandered to the front of the class. She must have still been drunk from the party she went to last night, stumbling up with the grace of a crude waterfowl (actually, the waterfowl probably would have been more graceful).

"Your homework, young lady?", Mr. Rutherford said with a smile, extending his hand.

Michelle accepted the invitation by chomping off several digits from his hand.

"AGH! What the hell are you doing?!?", the teacher screamed. The rest of the class looked on in awe. This was indeed something completely different.

Ms. Callaway continued to bite at the leathery old buffoon until she finally ripped out his intestines, spraying blood on the front row of the class, on the floor, on her face.

Ryan was shocked. This didn't happen. Not here. Not in a school. Hell, this didn't happen in life! It happened on the silver screen, for Christ's sake! But, as real as the glass bottle Ryan grabbed and broke on one of the work benches, Michelle was devouring his physics teacher. One that had now tired of Mr. Rutherford's flesh and was starting to pursue... younger... blood.

As students ran out the door, except for a few paralyzed by fear, she started toward the closest meal...

...Ryan.

After some hesitation, Ryan shoved the broken bottle into Michelle's abdomen. She barely flinched as she started to grab his arm. With the speed of movement that is only generated by fear, Ryan withdrew the bottle and rammed it hard into her skull.

Stumbling backward, Michelle fell onto her back, twitching. To ensure she didn't get back up, Ryan started stomping the bottle down, eventually piercing the brain with its many jagged edges.

The overwhelming surge of panic started to leave Ryan until he heard the screams and moans outside.

Looking out the window in the door, he could see many of his classmates had not made it past the hall as faculty staff and student alike were tearing them apart. Their agonized screams sent a chill down Ryan's spine.

"Oh, God... Oh, God... what the hell did we do to deserve this? Nobody deserves this!", Ryan whispered to himself. If the magnitude of the situation hadn't settled in before, it was starting to now.

Now, the screams and moans had subsided. There was only an eerie silence in the halls. The only difference between how they were before and how they were now was the many corpses strewn about, all mutilated, desecrated and defiled.

"I can't just stay here forever... I have to get out of here. I wonder who else, if anyone, survived this..."

It was then Ryan heard a shuffling behind him. Turning, Ryan noticed that Mr. Rutherford, despite a gaping hole in his chest, was now walking (or shuffling, at least) towards him. "Nobody deserves this, nobody deserves this...", Ryan kept telling himself as he searched for something to end the unholy Rutherford's reanimation.

Grabbing a fire extinguisher, Ryan's off-beat sense of humor came back to him.

"You'll be happy to know I did do some Kinetic Theory work. I learned that what comes up...", Ryan said as he raised the fire extinguisher..

"...must come down!"

The sound of the fire extinguisher being swung into Mr. Rutherford's face was a sickeningly wet crunch, instantly felling him. Ryan couldn't help but feel a little better after his little joke. After all, in troubled times, that was about the only thing that kept him going.

Satisfied that he had given his teacher some form of salvation, Ryan decided now would be a good time to make his leave.

Peering out into the hallway, Ryan couldn't see anything out of the ordinary... except for the corpses of people he had seen alive and breathing just this morning.

Deciding on a direction, Ryan started on his exodus, hoping he could at least find someone else alive in this mess. It was so much easier to be scared if you were alone...


	2. Survival Of The Fittest

City of the Dead

"Hey Jarred, I've been hearing things on this floor. I think there may be someone here, I'm going to search the area more thoroughly" Vanessa said over the cell phone's static.

"Okay Vanessa, be careful, what is the situation up there?" Jarred asked.

"Well, I've only seen a couple of zombies, but I have avoided them easily" She said.

Paul tapped Jarred on the shoulder.

"Hold on a second" He told Vanessa, covering up the speaker. "What is it?" Jarred asked.

"Lets go check out that security room" Paul said.

"Hey Vanessa, we're going to go check out that security room, we'll meet up with you later" Jarred said.

"Okay, you guys be careful, bring me back something nice" She said.

"Heh, alright, take care, don't get yourself killed" Jarred said before hanging up the cell phone.

"Alright, lets go" Paul said walking over to the barricaded door. "Help me get this out of the way" He said getting on one side of the bookshelf.

"Okay, on three, 1...2..3" Jarred said, helping to pull the bookshelf away from the door.

The two left the classroom and stepped into the hall.

"Now, we have to go through the lobby in order to get to the security room" Jarred said suddenly remembering the reason why they left.

"Yeah...Lets go, we can do it" Paul replied, hoping that the zombies weren't smart enough to climb stairs.After a short jog, they reached the big wooden double doors. Jarred stared at the doors in front of him, wishing that they, like all the other doors in the school, were glass. The only way of telling what was on the other side of these doors, was to open them.

"You ready?" Paul asked, readying his knife.

"Lets do it" Jarred said

Paul swung the doors open and stepped out onto the second floor landing, quickly realizing that apparently the zombies weren't as stupid as he had wished, several of them had climbed up the stairs and were on the landing, directly in their way. The closet was a man in a business suit, the other two were both female, they could have almost passed for normal, must have died recently.

"Come on" Jarred yelled running towards them.

Paul followed. With an unexpected lunge, the zombie in the business suit grabbed Jarred's arm. Jarred felt the cold firm grip and screamed in surprise, quickly shoving the zombie over the railing and onto the floor below. Jarred and Paul easily bypassed the two staggering women and made it to the other side of the landing. They opened the set of wooden double doors and went in.

"Okay, the security room is just down this hall and to the left" Jarred said going over his mental map of the school.

"I know where its at, come on, lets get some weapons" Paul said running down the hall.

Jarred shrugged his shoulders and followed.

They ran down the hall, and just as Paul turned the corner, someone collided with him and they both fell to the floor. Paul hit the ground hard. Jarred saw the collision and ran towards Paul, thinking that he ran into a zombie. Paul immediately got up and pulled his dagger.

"Hey man what the hell are you doing?" The person's voice crackled, still in pain from hitting the tile floor.

"Whoa, your not a zombie" Paul said, seeing that the person on the floor was very much alive.

"No, my name is John, John Russo" He said still laying on his back.

"I'm Paul" He helped John up "And this mangy looking character here, is Jarred" He said pointing to Jarred.

"Hi" Jarred said disregarding Paul's sarcastic comment.

"You don't know how glad I am to see someone else alive" John said dusting himself off.

He was wearing a World Industries hoodie and dark blue jeans. Paul had seen him around before, he was a skater, often outside after school ended, skating around and jumping the stair sets.

"So, are you guys alone, anyone else here?" John asked.

"Yeah, there's the chick Vanessa, but she is on the third floor looking for survivors" Paul said.

"I just came from the third floor, its dangerous up there, I just watched my friend get killed by fucking crows" John said, his eyes widening with fear.

"Crows? What the hell?" Paul asked.

"Yeah, I know its weird, but they are up there, got in through one of the broken windows I guess" John said, still sounding worried. "We were heading to the security room to find some weapons, but...he didn't make it" John said looking towards the ground.

"What a coincidence, so were we" Jarred said. "Lets go guys, its just down there" He said pointing towards the hall to the right of where John and Paul collided.

The three got to the door and went in. The security room looked like a small darkened closet, only filled with gadgets. Security monitors bathed the surroundings in a grayish tint, a lot of them were out. John stared at the monitors, while Jarred and Paul's attention turned to a huge metal locker that was mounted to the wall.

Paul tried to open it.

"Damn locked doors" He said kicking a dent in the thin metal.

Paul violently kicked at the doors, until they gave way. he ripped them off the hinges and his jaw dropped as to what he saw inside. There was a row of Benelli 12-gauge shotguns, at least five of them, and many more handguns all sitting on the bottom shelf, ammunition, holsters, everything.

"Thank you for this bounty I'm about to receive" Paul joked.

"Why would public school rent-a-cops need all this artillery?" Jarred asked, surprised as to what he was seeing, but very happy about it.

"I don't know, but I'm sure glad its here" Paul said reaching in and grabbing a shotgun. "Oh yeah, this is what I'm talking about"

Jarred and Paul began taking the weapons and accessories, strapping themselves with the holsters that were inside. John had his hands in his pockets, watching the security monitors, John could see zombies slowly staggering around in several of the school's hallways, but his attention was focused on the lobby monitor, someone had just entered the school.

"Hey guys" John said with a confused tone to his voice.

"Yeah?" Jarred responded.

"Who is that?" John said pointing to the monitor.

Jarred walked over and looked at the screen, obviously it was the lobby's camera.

"Holy god" Jarred said suddenly taken by both confusion and fear.

"What is it guys?" Paul said walking over to the monitors.

What they saw was a large creature clad in a black trench coat, it's body resembled a human's, but that's where all the similarities ended. Its skin looked like torn leather, several cords sprouted from it's flesh and wrapped around its unearthly shoulders, a tear in the middle of its face housed a set of teeth and gums. Jarred, Paul, and John watched the creature smash it's fists through the skulls of the zombies that broke through the windows earlier. The monster turned, opened the first door to the left of the entrance, and entered one of the first floor hallways.

"Wha...What the fuck was that thing?" Paul stuttered.

"I don't know, but I sure don't want to be around to find out, guys lets get the hell out of here" Jarred said grabbing a backpack full of ammunition.

"Yeah, hey John, take some of these" Paul said handing John an assortment of ammo, a handgun, and a shotgun.

"Th...Thanks" John said still staring at the monitor.

"Come on guys, lets go, whatever that was, its on the first floor, we'll just steer clear of there for now" Jarred said walking out of the room. Several thoughts were swirling in his head, what is that thing? Why is it here? Suddenly his mind shifted towards Vanessa, he didn't want that thing anywhere near her.

"I've got to get her, she'll probably hate me for acting like a chivalrous hero, but I can't let...Whatever the hell that thing was, find her"

All of a sudden, Jarred took off running down the hall where John came from.

"Hey guys, I have to go get Vanessa, I'll meet up with you later" Jarred yelled running down the hall.

"What!?? Wait a minute, COME BACK!!!!" Paul yelled, but it was of no use, Jarred disappeared around the corner.

"Damn...That takes balls" John said nodding his head nonchalantly.

"Yeah, or pure stupidity, come on we have to go after him, we also need to look for Vanessa, she's somewhere on the third floor" Paul said.

"Alright, but I'm telling you, there's some bad shit up there" John said, cocking his shotgun. "But I don't think anything is going to want to mess with us" He sneered.

The two ran down the hall where Jarred went.

"Yeah, he went the way I came down" John said. "He probably took the elevator, follow me" John said leading the way.

"Dammit Jarred, why did you have to turn into a hero?" Paul thought. It may have been brave and noble, but it was definitely a blind and foolhardy move. With that thing now in the mix, Paul was beginning to doubt that any of them would survive...

Jill Valentine

There was an eerie silence that filled the dark hallways on the third floor. Vanessa paced on quickly, trying to remove the horrid images of walking corpses from her mind. She tightened her clench around the handle of the knife, since it was her only source of protection. Cautiously examining the halls, she peered up at the perfectly arched walls shaped by beautifully polished pine wood, decorated with extravagant carvings engraved deep within flesh of the wood.

"I've got to say," she thought to herself.

"This school is pretty damn nice..."

Tiny glints of glass shimmered in the small source of light from the side lamps, and Vanessa noticed that several of the windows had been broken.

"What the?" she whispered to herself.

Bending down, she gently scooped up a pile of black feathers, saturated with fresh, warm blood.

"Oh my god..."

Realizing she was not alone, Vanessa slowly looked up, seeing a flock of crows lined up above her on the window sill, hungrily staring at her through their deep red, evil gaze.

"Stay the fuck away from me!" she cried, slowly staggering back, waving the knife in their direction. The crows seemed to of been amused by her response to their presence, as their ghostly shrieks somewhat resembled the sound of evil laughter.

Realizing the knife held no threat to them, she immediately bolted in the opposite direction. The accumulated sound of wings beating the still air followed Vanessa with an ominous echoing. The rhythmic beat of their wings equaled the rate of her heart, as they closed in on her, faster and faster.

The first two doors in the corridor were locked, and there was possibly no way she could escape if the next three also happened to be locked.

"Please don't be locked, please don't be locked..." she chanted repetitively in her head.

Approaching the next door, she discovered that it was unlocked.

"Jesus loves me!" she shouted, forcing open the door, while slamming it behind her.

Relieved that she was safe, Vanessa took a deep breath of air, noticing a musky, acidic smell that filled the large, dark room.

"Holy shit!" she cried once again, examining the pile of dead bodies that filled the center of the room.

"Uhhhhh.." came a monstrous hiss from above her.

Before she could open her frozen throat to scream, the creature leapt down beside her, bearing it's ferocious teeth in a vigorous threat. Then, with one swift movement, it swiped it's sharp claws at her, as she narrowly dodged it, defending herself with the knife. Unable to defend herself, Vanessa forced herself out of the room, and back into the corridor, realizing the crows had disappeared. Somehow, the creature followed her out into the hall; it seemed to be intelligent enough to open doors, unlike the mute, brainless zombies.

Screaming in fear, Vanessa bolted the down the corridor, heading towards the flight of stairs that lead down to the second floor.

Recognizing a figure approaching her, Vanessa realized it was Jarred; safe and armed.

"Jarred!! Run!!!" she yelled quickening her pace to the fastest speed possible.

Jarred looked at her, as shock filled the expression in his pale face. Loosing control of her legs, Vanessa stumbled into his arms, her grip tightening for a sense of security.

"I'm so glad you're here," she cried, shaken from the strange creatures she encountered. "I was so scared..I 

didn't know what to do...I didn't know what to do!"

"Shh..it's ok now, you're safe. I'm here.." he reassured her, cradling her in his arms.

Pulling her gaze up to meet his, Vanessa found herself quivering with fear, while remaining unable to speak.

"Let's get out of here. We found another survivor, John Russo, and he knows a safe place where we can hide for a while." he said, looking down at the empty staircase.

"Don't worry, we'll get out of here. I promise you..."

Carlos Oliveira

As quiet as he could Nathan searched the hallways for rooms with survivors. Unfortunately all he found were dead bodies. Stopping near the Art room on the second floor, Nathan crouched down and counted his ammo.

"3 clips, 8 in each, plus the one in the 9mm minus 1 leaves me 31 shots." he said to himself.

Again his fathers voice came into his mind.

__

"Son. It's O.K. to be afraid. But now's not the time Nath. You need to get outta here Son. Someplace safe. Remember that the only sovereign you can allow to rule you is reason Nath. Never forget that."

With that one time motto he stood with new resolve.

"It's time to find out if all your training paid off Dad." he said out loud.

Nathan stole a look around the corner and saw 4 of the "zombies" walking towards his direction. With a deep breath he took the corner running dropping to his back silently thanking the janitor for waxing recently as he slid on his back under the first firing 2 rounds into it's face and chest, as he passed under he kicked off another wall and slid passed another firing once more, the round punching neatly in it's forehead. Rolling to his feet he dove under another twisting onto his back as he stopped under it. The monster looking down with saliva dripping from it's open mouth.

"Hungry? Eat this!" Nath said as he fired 1 round into the creature's head as he kicked out from under it.

Standing up he was less then 5 feet from the last one.

"Don't worry about what can't hurt you Son."

Deciding his father was right he slipped to the nearest door and fumbled with the handle wrenching the door open, and closing it quickly behind him. After locking it he slouched to the floor and reloaded pocketing the loose round and slapping in a fresh one. Taking a quick look he realized he was in the welding class.

"Never did show up to this class." he thought with a chuckle

"Lets see if Mr. Wilson left anything around for me to use." he said to no-one in particular.

And with that he began to search the room.

Books welding materials but nothing of use, then he spotted his locker shelf where he kept his clothes before class. As he walked over he smiled to himself. During his first week here, he had come to the class once and had changed into his welding outfit and left his good clothes here. Not once had he come back for them thinking Mr. Wilson would be pissed at him for dropping the class after 2 months of not showing up, but then again when you were as good as him at Wrestling none of the teachers seemed to care what you did as long as you won. After a brief lapse in memory Nath remembered the comb and opened the locker to reveal his clothes. Quickly he changed from his jeans into the black tear off pants with white stripes and tossed on the vest over his black shirt. All together he felt kinda safe wearing more then he was. It felt like a second skin. Quickly he emptied the jeans of the $210 he was carrying and his cell phone which he clipped to his pants, and the cigarettes and zippo he had. Quickly he took out a smoke and lit it and placed the smokes and lighter into his vest pocket along with the 3 extra clips. Nath adjusted the shoulder holster and walked back to the door and slowly unlocked and opened the door.........empty. Slipping out with his smoke hanging from his lips he took a drag and started walking down the hall and flicked the safety off of his 9. One way or another he was getting out of here and even if it meant shooting his Wrestling coach himself,...."After all they didn't vote me student body president for nothing. I always know how to handle a situation right? Well only one way to find out." With that thought he walked towards the stairs and headed up thinking the only good thing that could happen now was finding a friend..........after all.....being alone sucked!

Joker

Ryan ran down the hall, the sound reverberating throughout the halls with every step. Warren High, which had not long ago been a hustle and bustle of activity was now silent, a soulless monolith instead of an average school. It was empty, quiet enough to hear one's own thoughts screaming at them. Indeed, that's what Ryan heard.

"Get out of here! Find the exit and leave!", his mind screamed at him, his survival instincts coming to the fore.

As Ryan stood pressed against the wall next to a corner, he risked a peek out into the hallway.

Empty.

Just as he went to make his leave, however, Ryan heard footsteps. They were approaching fast.

All of a sudden, BAM! Ryan was smacked down onto the floor. Looking back, he could see the inverted image of somebody running.

Ryan quickly got up and started off after the figure, but the collision between his head and the ground made seeing straight a challenge, let alone running straight.

Forcing himself on, Ryan went around the corner he saw the figure take and...

...they were gone.

"What the...", Ryan said to himself. "What the hell was that? Did I just make all that up?"

Looking around, he spotted a fire emergency cabinet. Inside was the alarm, waiting to be pressed, and a fire axe, just waiting to be taken.

"Hmm... I always was good at burying the hatchet...", Ryan said with a wry smile.

Lifting the fire axe, Ryan found it wasn't as heavy as he first thought. It'd be perfect for a self-defence tool until he found a gun. "And the likelihood of that happening is about the same as me being responsible for winning the SuperBowl", Ryan thought inwardly. He remembered the security room, but that had probably been looted already.

Now ready for anything, Ryan looked around for something to field-test his axe on.

The halls were absolutely desolate. Not a solitary soul (or rotting corpse) in sight...

...except for what looked like a face peering out from the far end of the hall.

"Hey! Wait!", Ryan called, but the figure took off again. Ryan went in pursuit, running faster now that he was no longer dazed.

But, once again, when he turned the corner, the figure was gone.

"What the hell is up with that?!?", Ryan said as he came to a halt. He realized that the axe might have been a deterrent, but there was more to it, Ryan was certain.

"Typical that someone would run off upon seeing me", Ryan thought. He was never very "popular". All he had was a few close friends.

"And now, they're dead...", Ryan thought to himself.

It wasn't as if he didn't have acquaintances, people that accepted him enough to say "hi" or actually talk to him beyond "What's the answer to problem 34?", but friends were a commodity he just ran out of. And that, Ryan could not take.

"Well, to hell with that... whoever or whatever that was... I'm out of here", Ryan quietly stated as he started bounding down the halls.

While he did, he couldn't shake the feeling that it was now him that was being followed...

Claire Redfield

Winsor continued her journey through the twists and turns of the air vents. She thought she heard a gunshot come from somewhere but ignored it. Whoever had fired probably would be dead now.

__

And I am in the vents trying to escape. Just admit it Sam, you're afraid of being alone.

But that was the way she was. A woman who didn't give a rat's ass about anyone. So why should she look for survivors in the building.

"Just get me the hell out of here," she muttered to herself. "If I run into someone or something, I'll just 

either run or maybe join them. If they don't look a little sick."

She stopped at a dead end, staring in disbelief.

"Dammit! Son of a bitch! Goddammit! Mother fucker! Jesus fucking Christ! Shit! You gotta be fucking kidding me!"

She leaned against the metal wall and placed her head in between her hands. She was stuck now. The only way to get out of the vent was to turn back and return to the library.

__

Which has probably been broken into. Those zombies could have broken through that barricade easily. If I was able to move a book shelf to block it by myself, a few of those things could break through.

It was part true. She did move a book shelf, though it wasn't one of the heaviest objects she wished she had the power to move. It only weighed maybe 100-something pounds and she knew it would slow the zombies down. Probably for a few minutes, but she knew she couldn't kid herself.

A moan came from beneath her. It was faint, but she recognized it. The zombies have came. The school was going to become fully infested with the living dead. She looked down and noticed a small hole about the size of nickel in the vent. She looked through and saw the creature. It was a zombie from the outside, it was too decomposed to be a fresh one. It just stood by a corner that separated the school hallways. She couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, but she really didn't care. It was just there. She was about 10 feet above the ground, but it didn't help her to where she was.

And there was a shout coming from somewhere. A human voice. There were survivors. And wherever they were, they didn't, couldn't see the zombie.

__

And they'll run into it. Maybe they'll kill it or maybe....

"They'll die, just like everyone else have so far," she whispered. She reached behind her and grabbed her bat and put on her backpack.

__

This better work or I would feel like such a jackass when they die. Would I feel like a jackass? Nah, I won't, but I have nothing else to do.

She started to kick and punch the walls of the vent. Small dents started to appears as the sound echoed throughout the tunnel.

"STOP! DON'T MOVE ANY CLOSER! ZOMBIE IS AROU-"

A sudden vibration stopped her and she felt the vent suddenly bend underneath her. She heard the sound of metal starting to break-

and she fell through the vent, bringing the bent metal that she was sitting on with her.

"OOOOHHHH SSSHHHHIIIIIITTTTT!" she screamed. She closed her eyes until she heard the sickening crack of bone. She opened her eyes and saw the zombie underneath the bent metal, which she was on top of. Blood flowed from the sides of the fallen monster and she realized that it was dead now.

She got off of the metal and stood up, quickly dusting herself off and clearing her throat. She quickly picked up her bat from the floor and looked up.

There were two teenagers staring at her. Both were guys and one of them took a step and stopped when there was shouting coming from behind them. The two guys turned around and from an unseen door, two more people ran up. Another guy and a girl.

"Found her," the guy with the girl said. The couple ran to the other guys and they all looked at the girl to see if she was hurt. The guy that came with the girl then looked at Winsor. Then they all looked back at her.

She swung her bat as if it was a cane and opened her mouth. "What the fuck are you staring at?"


	3. Loved Ones And Friends Gone

Carlos Oliveira

After finishing his third smoke he heard it. A loud crash followed by some muffled noises.

"Another victim of this madness." he thought

Quietly he continued towards the Amp theater. Walking on the balls of his feet not making a sound when suddenly a woman came running around the corner straight for him. He raised the 9 but lowered it again when he noticed it was Lina,....his ex.

"Oh my God Nath help!!" she screamed as she fell into his arms.

"Lina are you O.K.?" Nathan asked.

"Nath w-whats going on h-here? Please don't l-leave me." she stammered.

__

Your the one who left me. he thought bitterly.

"Your O.K. now Li. Everything is gonna be O.K. shhhhh." Nathan cooed, trying to bring her under control. Lina was a grade-A bitch but had whipped him good enough to cheat on him and not even cry when she got caught. She acted like it was no big deal but to Nath it had been. It was his first relationship in a new school and he had fallen for her big time, but now,......now he wasn't sure what to do. It felt good having her holding him again but at the same time wrong.

"Lina we have to get outta here." stated Nath

"Where!?! Their everywhere Nath." she sobbed

"I know but we have to go. There may still be people in here and I think w...." he started.

"Fuck them!! I wanna go home Nath,..Take me home." again she clung to him and cried.

Again he was reminded of his father when he thought about leaving. His father would never leave anyone behind and neither would he.

"No. I have to see if anyone else is around." he stated

"W-what? Fuck you Nath! I'm leaving,...you can stay here and die for all I care. Go! Save your little loser friends!" she spat as she tore away and down the hall.

Those words stung him again. Those were the words she had used when justifying her cheating on him. "Well that's what you get for talking to losers Nath. Next time you'll pay more attention to me won't you?"that's what she had said and now those words cut him again.

"Their not losers,....their people just like us." he said quietly to himself.

"Aaaaaarrrrrhhhhh!!!!!!!" came a piercing scream from where Lina had gone.

Nath took off at full speed and slid around the corner using the wall to stop himself. In front of him lay the remains of what he could only assume had been Lina. Her body was ripped and torn open. Blood covered the floor. Nathan never had a weak stomach, but this time it was close to coming up.

"God,...no." he whispered and was answered by a low hissing sound from above.

He slowly looked up and saw her murderer. At first it seemed human but after realizing he was staring at the ceiling he knew it wasn't. It was horrifying. Nathan stepped back as it dropped to the floor in front of him.

"What the hell are you?" he asked

"Screeech!!" was all the answer he needed.

Taking aim and backing up Nath fired 2 rounds into the things body, neither stopping it or slowing it. He turned and ran hearing it right behind him.

"Not gonna make it,..gonna die." he thought as he ran straight for the Amp theater doors. A plan formed in his head as he felt it bearing down on him. Nathan ran straight to the door placing his feet on it and kicking off to the left rolling to his back firing 4 quick shots into the things body, 2 piercing it's chest and the other 2 smacking wetly into it's head blowing it clear away and into the wall with a wet smack. Breathing heavy Nath stayed there and caught his breath. After what seemed like an eternity of waiting he stood and walked over to the creature. "Mother fucker!" he cursed bitterly and fired another round into it's cranium. He walked to the Amp theater door and pushed it open.......empty. He walked to the stand in the front and took out his clips and placed the extra round in his pocket with the other and slapped in a fresh clip. Counting them seemed to calm him,..."2 full clips, one in the 9, and 2 extra rounds, 26 rounds total and a partridge in a pear tree." he laughed to himself. Staring around he realized that only three weeks ago he had accepted being voted student body President right in this very spot. He stood there dressed to the "nines" as he liked to say, and spoke with calm authority to everyone there and told them he was honored and that the only thing keeping him from being the best President this school ever had was,.....The fact that he was going to Win! The state championship for Warren High and nothing was gonna stop that. With those words the school had erupted into a full blown chant of "Nathan Law, Nathan Law" He didn't dislike the attention but he believed that no one man or woman should be so revered but their school was hardcore into Wrestling and having Canada's #1 wrestling for their high school was the best thing to happen for them and they weren't afraid to show it.

Nathan lit a smoke and holstered the 9 taking a large drag and started blowing smoke rings. It was a relaxing little distraction, one that he welcomed. After seeing Lina's body desecrated like that he needed it. He felt a pang of sorrow for her but he didn't let his resolve falter. He was going to make it out, and take whoever he could find with him. He'd finish his smoke and go searching for more survivors. Where there was one there where surely more.

City of the Dead

"Calm down, calm down" Paul yelled to the bat-wielding girl.

She relented and lowered her weapon.

"See, that's more like it, now, what's your name?" Paul asked gently.

"Samantha, Samantha Winsor, Sam for short, who are you guys?" She asked.

"Well, that long haired weakling is Jarred, that skater guy is John, that skanky girl over there is Vanessa" Paul said sarcastically.

"Shut up Paul" Vanessa yelled.

"And this handsome devil you see before you is Paul" He said with confidence.

Sam stood speechless, she didn't know what to say, she was so relieved to see other survivors, and even Paul's lighthearted humor had put her a little more at ease. For a while, there was a moment of silence, no one said anything until...

"What were you doing in the ceiling?" John casually asked.

"What do you think I was doing? I've been running and hiding from these....zombies" Sam said with a smidgen of irritation.

"Well, we should get going, we still need to find a safe way out of here, and that thing we saw in the hall is probably still lurking around" Jarred said.

"What thing?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, what thing?" Sam added.

As if on cue, the slamming of a door reverberated throughout the hall. In a horrifying twist of irony, the monster from the security monitors entered the hallway.

"Holy shit" Jarred said, gripping his shotgun for dear life.

The monster slowly walked towards them, shaking the ground with each colossal step.

"RUN!!!" Jarred yelled

Everyone turned and ran down the hall as fast as their legs could carry them. The trembling footsteps behind them started speeding up. The leather clad demon was running down the hall towards them.

"OH FUCK!!!!!" Paul screamed.

They had made it to the end of the hall, the only method of escape was the elevator, but with the time it took for the doors to open, them all to board and be on their way down, the monster would be well upon them. Jarred and Paul both looked at each other as if their thoughts were synchronized. They knew what had to be done.

"Hey guys, get on the elevator, we'll hold it off" Paul screamed at Sam, Vanessa, and John.

"No, are you crazy, that's suicide" Vanessa said with surprise.

"Don't worry, it will be okay, head to the Amp theater, we'll meet you there, go NOW!!!!" Jarred yelled.

"Here!!" Paul said throwing her a handgun "We'll catch up with you later"

She didn't know what to say, they were putting their lives in jeopardy for her and the others, she wished them luck, and ran into the elevator with John and Sam. As the doors closed on Paul and Jarred, she knew that she might never see them again, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Fire!!" Jarred said taking aim at the beast's abdomen.

Deafening blasts roared as Jarred and Paul opened fire on the hideous creature. Through the monitors they only caught a glimpse of it, but up close, they could make out every terrifying detail. A huge stitched gash went across from where its right eye was supposed to be. And the purple tentacles that wrapped around its broad shoulders, were slightly pulsating. It was truly one of the strangest things Jarred or Paul had ever seen.

The shots hit the monster in the upper body, only managing to knock it back a few steps. It opened its mouth, let out a low growl, and in a split second, charged after Paul.

"GET DOWN!!!" Jarred yelled.

Paul's face turned to complete terror as the monster reared its mighty fist, Paul and Jarred both ran behind the beast as it's fist shattered the floor where they were standing.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS THING???!!!!!" Paul yelled taking aim once more.

They began another assault, hitting it in the back as it dug its fist from the gaping hole it had just made in the floor. The buckshot tore through the monster's leather coat, A violet fluid oozed from the wounds.

Jarred began reloading the shotgun when it came for them again, it had caught Jarred off-guard and landed a direct punch to his gut, sending him to the floor.

"COME ON, BRING IT" Paul yelled jumping in front of his injured friend, unloading blast after blast into the creature's disfigured upper body, and then something happened. The monster bellowed in pain and fell to the floor, a pool of purple blood spreading around it's body. They had won.

"HA, THAT'S WHAT YOU GET, THAT WILL SHOW YOU NOT TO MESS WITH US" Paul yelled, adrenaline still pumping through his veins.

Jarred slowly raised up from the floor, trying to regain his breath. His eyes watered and his stomach burned, but all together he didn't think he was too badly damaged. Paul kneeled down by him.

"Hey man, are you okay, that thing sure did mess you up?" Paul asked.

"I'll be okay..." Jarred panted, still reeling from the blow. "Damn...Felt like a fuckin'...truck hit me or something"

Paul got up and walked over to the corpse of the monster, inspecting it closely. It was lying on its stomach, bullet holes lining its gargantuan hulk. Paul saw something that got his attention, he looked closer and saw that their was a small logo on the monster's jacket.

"Blair?" He read. "I wonder if that means Blair pharmaceuticals" He thought to himself. "But why would a creature like this have a Blair logo on it?" A new question arose, did Blair have something to do with this whole mess?

Jarred stumbled over to Paul who was still looking at the fallen monster.

"This thing doesn't look like it's an accident, it must have been sent here, look" Paul said pointing out the insignia.

"What the hell?" Jarred asked. "Do you think Blair is somehow connected with this whole thing?"

"I haven't a clue, but lets find the others, let them know that this...soldier thing is dead" Paul said.

Paul stepped over the dead beast and pushed the button for the elevator, Jarred was holding his side, obviously in pain, but generally okay. In a couple of seconds the doors opened. Paul went to step in, when to his complete surprise, the monster they thought dead, was beginning to get up from the floor.

"Oh my god, it's unstoppable" Paul thought to himself.

Jarred painfully ran past the recovering monster and got in the elevator. Paul began pushing the button for the first floor rapidly.

"Come on, come on, oh dear god, close" He said out loud.

The doors finally closed.

BAMMM!!!

The elevator shook as a massive dent deformed the thick metal doors, and then the elevator went down. Unless the monster could operate elevators as well (which wouldn't be too surprising), they were fairly safe.

"Hey Paul, why do you think that thing is here, I mean, if it was sent by Blair, what is it's purpose?" Jarred asked still holding his side.

"I don't know, there are a lot of questions that have to be answered, but I don't really want to be the one who answers them, lets just head to the Amp theater, get the others and leave this nightmare"

Jarred was seriously starting to fear for his life, zombies he could handle, but eight foot, monster soldiers of destruction were a little out of his league, they may have been lucky this time, but luck never lasts, and with a situation like this, it doesn't last long...

Shadow

*Vanessa, Sam and John stood by the elevator door on the first floor*

Vanessa: Where are they, they're taking too long.

John: Something must've happened, I've gotta help them.

*John took out his shotgun*

John: I'll be back, here take this just incase.

*he threw Sam a handgun and some ammo.*

Sam: Nice...he takes the shotgun and leaves us with this thing.

Just as john went to press the button, a "Ding" was heard. The doors opened, Jarred and Paul stood inside...Jarred was injured.

John: You're back!? What took you?

Vanessa: Huh? Jarred you're hurt, what happened, are you alright?!

Jarred: Yeah, it's nothing...I'm fine. But...that thing...its...

Paul: *interrupting Jarred*It's unbelievable. We're lucky to be alive.

Paul and Jarred explained what had happened and what they discovered.

John: So, Blair is behind all of this?

Paul: Maybe, we can't say for sure...but they very well could be.

Vanessa: Well, if it's still alive, why are we standing around here for?

John: Yeah, she's right...it could be right behind that door for all we know.

They all looked at the elevator door, and then at each other. They all moved further down the hall and continued the conversation.

Sam: So...where to know?

Jarred: We should head to the Amp theater, there should be survivors there.

Vanessa: Right, good idea, lets go then.

John: Where was it again...?

Paul: Its on the 2nd floor, isn't it?

John: Thought so...

Sam: Isn't there any other way up?

Jarred: The stairs are probably boarded up.

John thought about Brian...he would already be dead if it wasn't for him, and he just let him die. He ran like a baby, and let those monsters tear him apart. He thought about Brian being another faceless corpse in the hallway.

John: Yeah...they're locked...believe me.

Paul: Well, then this is the only way.

Jarred: *looking at his injury*Well, lets go...we'll be in more danger if we just stand around.

Paul pushed the button again...he stepped into the elevator, the same one he just came out of to escape his death. Jarred stepped into the elevator followed by Vanessa.

Something popped into Johns mind. The cafeteria...his friends, they were still waiting for Brian and him to come back with weapons.

Vanessa: C'mon, hurry up, what're you doing?

John thought about it...did he really care? Did he really care if his friends got out of this? All that mattered to him was getting himself out alive. Why did he have to move here? If only his dad didn't die, none of this would never have happened. But wait...this wasn't him. This ordeal was beginning to change John. Usually the kindhearted person who would do anything for his friends...changed into this shadow of his old self. He didn't care about anything but himself, and didn't really care if he was the only one to make out alive.

John: No...I have to go back, I cant just leave them.

They all looked at john puzzled.

Sam: What the hell are you talking about?

John: My friends, they're still waiting for me in the cafeteria...they're think I'm coming back. And they have no idea about this new threat...this...beast. You guys go ahead. I'll go back to the cafeteria and look for survivors, you guys to the Amp theater.

Sam: You can't be serious...

Vanessa: You can't go alone...are you nuts?

John: No, I'm dead serious...I cant let what happened to Brian happen to anyone else, I just cant.

Paul: But getting your self killed wont do any good either.

John: Whatever...I'm going, I'll see you later...I hope.

John grabbed his shotgun with both hands and ran down the hall.

Jarred: Argh...we can't let him go alone, Sam go after him.

Sam: No way, you go...not like I care.

Paul shut the doors to the elevator.

Sam: Hey, what the fuck are you doing!?

Sam seriously started to doubt ever helping Jarred and the others out.

Sam: I cant believe this...how did I get into this?

She noticed she still had the handgun. She clipped it to her side and clutched the 4 clips she had in her hand. That 5 clips counting the one already loaded. She ran down the hall the way John went.

John walked down the hall...dead bodies filled the halls. It was like a test track, he weaved in and out of the trails made by dead bodies.

John: I cant believe this...((_man this stinks...literally_))

John heard footsteps from behind him down the hall. He turned around and cocked his shotgun ready to blast whatever crept around the corner to hell. He saw a figure turn the corner and pressed the trigger slightly, not enough to make it fire.

John: Huh? Sam?!

He lifted his finger off the trigger and let out a sigh. He had almost blasted Sam in half...why is she here?

John: Jesus, Sam I almost killed you, what the heck are you doing here?! I told you and the other to go.

Sam: Believe me I didn't want to come, they forced me...this is the only way to go. Don't get any funny ideas, not like I care what happens to your friends.

John almost got angry, but then he realized the situation they were in. I mean he wasn't entirely sure he was doing the right thing himself.

John: Uh...yeah, ok. Lets hurry to the cafeteria.

John walked ahead while Sam lurked around pretty far behind him. They wandered the transformed halls in search for the cafeteria.

John: I can't believe these are the same halls I walked through just weeks ago...

Sam: Amazing what a couple dead bodies will do, huh?

John: ...uh...yeah. I surprised we haven't run into anything yet.

Sam: Keep yelling and maybe you'll attract a whole mess of the undead.

John: ...*sigh*....

After walking in silence for a couple minutes they came to a sign...

______________________

| |

| CAFETERIA |

| |

| - - - - - - |

| - - - |

|_____________________|

Sam: Gee...you don't think the cafeteria is up ahead do you?

John: I'm not sure it just might be...

John didn't hear anything...what did that mean, was everyone already dead? Was it too late?

They ran around the corner into the cafeteria...a gruesome sight lay ahead of them...John fell to his knees.

There were dead corpses everywhere...some were even plastered against the walls and ceilings. The table where John and his friends sat...three people lay across the table, dead of course. One had a whole right through his chest. Another had to face. And the last one was nothing more than part of a torso and a foot. Another person was laying on the floor, staring up...only, its eyes were missing. And finally one last person was smashed into the wall with incredible force. The rest of the cafeteria held the same appearance...nobody was alive, nobody.

Sam: Gross...

Ignoring Sam's comment John got up and walked towards the cafeteria counter. Sam had her back against the wall across the room.

John: I cant believe...they're all dead...

"John..!?"

A muffled voice was heard from behind the counter. Sam lifted her back off the wall and john looked up trying to figure out where it was coming from.

"Is that you...?"

John: Who is it? Who's there?

"It is, its you."

A girl stumbled out from behind the counter.

John: H-heather..! Your alive?!

Heather: Everyone else is...gone. You and me are the only ones left! W-wheres Brian?

John: Ugh...

Heather: Him too...huh who's that?

John: That Sam, another survivor.

Heather: Oh thank god.

John: We found 3 other people too...we should get back to them.

Heather: I rather be anywhere than here...lets hurry out of here, I can't be here anymore.

They both walked towards Sam, who was getting impatient.

Sam: Can we go now?

John: Yeah, let's get out of here...

They all headed to the hallway back to the elevator.

John: Hey...what did this heather...?

Heather: It was some kind of...thing...it was wearing a leather trench coat type thing and it had to eye...it killed everyone so quick...

John: ((_it was that guy...the same one..._))How did you get away?

Heather: I was getting food at the vending machine when I heard a scream...I hid in the kitchen...I watched them all die John...

A clicking sound was heard from around the corner. Again John cocked his shotgun, while Sam pulled out her handgun. The clicking got faster and louder.

Heather: what is it?

They got ready...a figure came flying around the corner...it was a purplish monster dragging its giant claw on the floor leaving a gash in the floor.

BOOM! BOOM!

It was to fast, both Sam and john missed. The monster stopped...

BOOM! BOOM!

The monster dodge the bullets...again sweeping its claw along the floor.

John: I cant hit it...it's way to fast!

Heather: It's...getting close...!

It was very close now...it started to run in circles and slashed its claw violently.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Click...click...

John: Shoot...out of ammo...

While John was reloading, Sam kept firing.

She caught it a few times...but it did little to slow the creature down.

John: Ready.

The creature stood still, raised its claw...and headed straight for them. It went for Sam...then turned to John...back to...then to Heather...back to John again, and at last swiped at....Heather.

BOOM! BOOM!

Got it...finally...the creature fell in a screech of pain. It almost got back up...then fell back down.

John: Heather, are you alright?!

Heather: Y-yeah...its not that bad...

Sam: It didn't seem like it was trying to kill...strange...

John: Yeah...it wont do anymore killing now though...c'mon...

They again started to walk, shaken up by the ordeal. Heather stopped suddenly...

Heather: Something's wrong...I don't feel right...

John put his hand on her forehead...

John: Oh man...she's burning up...!

Sam: You don't think it had anything to with..

The whole hallway shook. A growl was heard...followed by footsteps...wasn't human. Each footstep came down with an earthquake like thud.

John: No...not now...

The had returned...it turned the corner. It looked at them...and started to sprint at them.

John: Run...!!!!

Sam: No kidding.

They all ran as fast as they could...but...

Heather: I cant keep going...something's...wrong...help....m...e...

Heather fainted...she fell atop a pile of bodies.

John: No...! Wait...keep going I'm going back!

Sam: Yeah right, you'll never make it, there's no way.((_not that I care, in fact...yes go ahead, commit suicide._))

No...not again...the same thing...running...and leaving another fiend to die...he couldn't do it again. John stopped and fired blast after blast into the mammoth. It did little to slow it down. The beast quickly caught up to John...but, then stopped? It turned back to heather...it seemed to have noticed what John was trying to do...It turned and headed back. John kept firing. The beast swung its fist around, sending John sliding down the hall. Sam was already gone. John got up again. He shot again. The beast stumbled...and regained it balance.

John: No, get away from her!

It picked her up...and with a disturbing "squishy" sound it forced a tentacle straight through her face. It flung her around and smacked her against the wall. It turned to john again. John ran back to the elevator, the beast close behind. Sam was already there, waiting with the door open. John stumbled in...

John: Alright...that's enough...

John punched the 1F button.

Joker

As Ryan made his way down the endless halls of Warren High, the feeling he had of being watched... followed... stalked was closing in upon him like the shadows he no longer trusted. Maybe he was just being to paranoid. But he had clearly seen someone observing him and paranoia didn't often make one conjure up images. Particularly images that gave one a concussion.

Ryan's grip on his axe was becoming inversely proportional to his grip on reality and he knew it. "This stuff just doesn't happen", Ryan told himself. "Dead people just do not get up and start walking around, what the hell sort of illicit substances must I have been on to think so?"

But, no matter how much Ryan's natural defense mechanism of denial worked overtime, it still would not put his mind at rest. For one thing, the drugs he had taken didn't extend beyond aspirin. So far, he had seen more dead people than live ones. In fact, Ryan had not seen a confirmed living soul since he watched his classmates become eviscerated one by one. The cruel demons wearing people's clothing simply tore them apart with no remorse. Being isolated in such a situation tends to have an adverse effect on one's social skills, so Ryan just kept telling himself to keep his sanity. If he didn't, he'd certainly miss his chance to escape, decapitating his savior instead of greeting him... or her...

As Ryan rounded yet another corner, he could see, through the shadows, a faint twinkling of lights, beckoning him towards them.

"The exit!", Ryan almost shouted in a sudden rush of euphoria. "I'm out of here!"

The thought of attempting to search for survivors crossed Ryan's mind, but here he was. An exit. His salvation.

He wasn't much good to any survivors if he was dead. A fire axe isn't that much protection from these undead. To destroy them, one needs will. So far, Ryan had prevailed, but what would he do if he came across someone he really cared about? Would he be able to kill them?

His mind made up, Ryan jogged towards the exit when, all of a sudden, the twinkling disappeared, replaced with a large shadow. Ryan didn't merely distrust this shadow. He feared it.

About facing on the run, Ryan headed back into the school, being pursued by an unusual creature. Whatever it was, it was fast, effortlessly making its way in front of Ryan.

As Ryan stopped to face this creature, he tried to figure out just what the hell it was. It was a strange green biped with reptilian eyes, eyes with homicidal intent emanating with every blink. Long claws protruded from its upper appendages, clearly demonstrating its capability to perform the acts the eyes conveyed. It also had no discernable neck, making it far more difficult to decapitate, Ryan decided.

"All in all, one ugly mother fucker", Ryan said under his breath as his grip on the axe tightened even more.

Bringing his axe to a high arch, Ryan slammed the sharp blade down on the creature's head. The hunter's thick skull made the axe nearly rebound to its original position.

As the axe returned to its high arch, the hunter swung a large claw at Ryan's abdomen. Ryan could feel the very thin layer of air between him and the hunter's claw being disrupted, but the axe had a decent range over the claws of this murderous beast.

That sensation was soon ended when his head was one of the first things to return to terra firma . He could hear the hunter fast approaching and now he was completely defenseless. The shadows which had been so innocuous were now closing in on Ryan, forcing his mind into recession.

Ryan had just noticed the noise made by the hunter had stopped, almost as if it was either gone or dead. Ryan hoped and prayed that it was. It didn't matter which one, as long as he had a glimmer of hope to hold onto...

Ryan could feel a wet sensation on the side of his head. As the sensation became more pronounced, he could see why. Blood was very gradually seeping onto the floor... his blood.

It was there Ryan made two vows before he lost consciousness. One, if he woke up again (without the craving for flesh), he would look for other survivors. If he was saved, he felt that he owed it to the rest of the living to help them escape. They may not have necessarily been his friends, they were all dead now. But a life-or-death situation usually does wonders for people's tolerance of others.

Two, if he made it through this ordeal alive, he'd deck the janitor who saw fit to leave him this vulnerable by leaving the floor wet...


	4. Isis' Creation, A Nemesis

Carlos Oliveira

Ryan awoke a short time later with a pounding headache. He gently felt his head and found it bandaged up, the bleeding had stopped but the pain was still there. He tried to sit up only to see everything go blurry and realize that maybe lying down was a good idea.

A short time later a figure was standing over him. He couldn't make out who it was but something told him that this was he mysterious savior.

"Who...are you?" he asked

The figure looked down and answered him in a soft quiet tone, "Shhhh. Quiet my friend. There is something outside the door looking for us so be still please."

Ryan stilled and waited, after all what could he do after a concussion like his.

"I'll be right back. Wait for me here and rest." the stranger said.

Ryan heard the door open and close and then silence.

Nathan left Ryan alone and entered the hallway. It was pure coincidence that he found Ryan near his locker. Nathan had gone there to get another pack of cigarettes that was in there and saw Ryan laying next to it with blood oozing from his head. He didn't know Ryan well but he knew that he was a good student and on his way to the honor role if he kept it up. Quickly lifting Ryan he carried him to the nurses lounge and fixed him up. After that the footsteps started. Loud, deliberate, and searching. He peeked out the window when he had a chance, but only caught a glimpse of a larger than life male weightlifter stalking the halls. He new that the odds were not in his favor that he was looking to help people, so he stayed where he was. Soon after Ryan woke up and Nathan heard another sound, quiet, fast, and definitely hiding not searching. He left thinking that it might be another survivor, and wanted to make sure that if it was, that they didn't run into the weightlifter that he saw.

Nathan lit a smoke and drew the 9 slowly. He flicked the safety and chambered a round. Slowly he started towards the stairs and back to the Amp theater. He had left some thing there and needed to get it back. It didn't take long to get back there and retrieve his "item". After that he walked back down to the first floor, and back towards the nurses room when he heard what sounded like a woman's voice whispering from the other direction. Cautiously he took the other hall and started towards the basement steps.

"Please God if it is a survivor, don't let them be in the basement. I've watched enough movies to know you never go into the basement so please let her be up here or let it be my imagination." he whispered to himself.

He heard it again. That soft feminine voice, and like it or not, it was coming from downstairs.

"Fuck. Just what I need another trip into oblivion." he thought

Slowly he descended the steps listening for anything. He approached the door and turned the knob,.....unlocked. He opened the door and started inside. It was to dark to see so Nathan flicked on the tac light. The light spilling across the thing he heard. It definitely wasn't female, and definitely not human either. It looked like an abomination from hell to him. It was a black arachnid looking thing that also resembled a monkey. It turned and skittered up the wall and into the darkness. Nathan suddenly drew a breath, it seemed that his encounter had made him forget. He walked around the corner and continued till he reached the boiler room. Slowly he opened it. ~swoosh!~ Something tore through the air in front of him and he stumbled back the tac light bouncing wildly around the hall lighting up the black creature. Nathan didn't hesitate this time and took aim and opened fire, 5 rounds piercing it's flesh and taking it down. Suddenly the hall was filled with screams and he spun looking for the source only to see 5 more scrambling after him. He had no choice so he spun and ran into the boiler room shutting and locking the door behind him. He could hear the creatures hitting and clawing at the door trying to get in. Nathan walked over and tried the switch (knowing it wouldn't work). To his amazement it illuminated the room in a blinding light. Nathan flicked off the tac light and walked around the room looking for something useful. Around the first boiler he found something alright but it wasn't what he expected. There lying in pieces on the floor were the remains of a man,....a soldier. Nathan quickly spotted the assault rifle and grabbed it. It was a full clip and the soldier was carrying 2 more. Nathan knew each held 30 rounds. He tucked them into a pocket and searched the body more, finding a letter. By the looks of it, it was official.

~To all operatives,

Operation "Sliver" is a go. Repeat it is a go. You are to report to your superiors immediately! The outbreak has not been contained, repeat not been contained. You are to use extreme measures to "Remedy" this situation. All radio contact will be terminated as of 01:00 hours. Survivors are to be considered infected and are to be taken out on site, repeat extreme prejudice to be used on any and all survivors.

Michael Piers Blair C.E.O. In charge of B.B.C.S.~

Nathan stood there a moment and reread the letter thinking maybe he missed something. After the 3rd time he knew he wasn't reading it wrong. He needed to get back to Ryan and fast. The zombies weren't the only things to worry about. Nathan turned and grabbed the handle but stopped remembering the monkeys outside.

"Forget it." He thought to himself.

He wasn't getting out that way. Then it hit him,.......The old laundry shoot. he could scale it up to the second floor and force the hatch open and go back down to Ryan. It would take a little longer but would probably save his life and right now that was more important. Now all he had to do was find the shoot.

"That soldier had to have came in using it so it has to be close by." he thought.

Later a brief search,....he found it.

Infinity-X

Ok, the school is being over run by zombies, more than likely everyone is dead, and I'm still sitting here in detention! What a waste of time! Thought Alexandra Temple, she removed her headphones, she was listening to O-Town, she was kind of a punk, but loved O-Town's music. She slammed her History book on the desk. Now, lets see here, there must be some sort of weapon in this stupid school.

"I got it!"

she said, she knew that Mr. Desmond always kept a knife in his desk. She walked over and found the knife in the top drawer. Mr. Desmond's body lied motionless on the floor, his guts were hanging out of his stomach.

"Well, I actually feel sorry for him....But, what now Alex, what now..."

She said quietly herself. Alex started to walk away from the desk,

"Huh?!?! What the....!?"

Mr. Desmond's dead corpse was gripping her leg, she couldn't move.

"SHIT!"

Alex took the knife and stabbed the now zombie teacher, about twenty times, then the knife broke. _I think I get lucky, then I just get disappointed, AGAIN_, she thought as she kicked the zombie's head off.

"I've got to get out of here."

Alexandra then walked limply out of the room, she was surprised she could walk at all, and found another teachers dead corpse, it had a gun, in hand. She slowly bent down and took the handgun, it had about 10 bullets left in it, and next to it there were about 4 clips. She slipped her head phones back on and cranked the volume up, she didn't want to here to moaning of distant zombies, she started moving her lips to the song by O-Town "Sensitive","your not playing with the flame, girl you won't get burned",that reminded her she had a lighter in her pocket. Alex looked down the hall to see something pacing back and forth in the hall a little ways down, she could just barley see it, it was so dark. It looked like a dog.

"What someone left their dog here too."

It heard her and came running at her,

"That dog is not ok!"

Alex started to run. She began to shoot at it's head, about six shots took it out.

"Why does my life have to suck so much?"

she said quietly. While shooting a couple zombies, Alex continued down the hall, she saw someone's blood on the ground, it was pretty fresh blood. She kept walking down the hall, dead bodies scattered all around her. _They probably deserved it, of coarse if they deserved it then why am I not dead?_ she thought.

Alexandra continued, she came to the nurses lounge and thought she saw someone inside, they looked human. She removed her headphones again. She had to see, so she walked inside to see a person laying on a bed, in the room.

"Stop! Who or what is there!?"said Ryan.

"Relax! I'm human!.....who are you?"

"My name is Ryan Barlett,and you are...?"

"My name is Alex, well...Alexandra Temple, you can call me Alex if you want though, I really don't care. But....ummm...Ryan, are you alright? Cause you don't look so good, maybe you should try and rest."

Alex walked to the other side of the room. There has to be something I can bandage my leg up with, she thought, I mean what good is a nurses lounge with nothing to heal with. She found a piece of cloth, which was good enough for her. She pulled her baggy pant leg up to look at the wound, it was bleeding badly, she wrapped the cloth around the wound. Alex sat down, it seemed pretty safe in the room. She sat watching things out the window, and all around her.

"I wonder if anyone else survived? And what are the chances of me making it out, alive?" she whispered softly to herself. Alexandra had a fear of going to sleep because of what might happen to her but, she figured she might as well try, so she thought of the two people she loved, her brother and his friend, hoping they made it out of the city alive, seeing they have been out of school for a year now. With good thoughts of them, and with her head phones playing again, this time it was "All or Nothing", she soon fell asleep, hoping while she was sleeping, nothing would happen to her.

City of the Dead

Jarred, Vanessa, and Paul looked around the Amp theater. Just like the lobby, the auditorium was extravagant, with classic architecture and dim lighting. The room seemed untouched, no blood stains, no bodies, no zombies, everything was quiet. The room actually took up two floors, all the entrances from the first floor had been sealed off.

"Nothing,...Just like the rest of the school, nothing" Paul said searching the room.

Jarred gazed at all the rows of red seats in the Amp theater, not even a hint of life or death. Vanessa read the messages on the bulletin board that was posted right next to the double door entrance. She flashed back to a couple of weeks ago, when everything was normal, when talking and laughter filled the school's halls, not the foul stench of decay, not the moans of zombies that used to be her classmates and friends, and certainly not the inhuman stalking creature that had injured Jarred. She was deep in her thoughts when something caught her eye, it was a letter, she tore it from the wall and began to read...

"To the students and faculty of Warren High School:

As you may know, the historic Warren High School building is in desperate need of renovation and repair, We at Isis Pharmaceuticals strive to do our part in aiding education and the future of the country, therefore, we are extremely happy to donate a five-hundred thousand dollar grant dedicated to restoring the splendor of Warren High School, as well as aiding in the education process.

Along with the restoration, this grant will also insure current educational tools as well as the latest in technological and computer software. We at Isis wish the students and faculty of Warren High School, a terrific new school year and the best of luck to the football team on the upcoming season. well as the latest in technological and computer software. We at Isis wish the students and faculty of Warren High School, a terrific new school year and the best of luck to the football team on the upcoming season.

"Hey guys!" Vanessa yelled.

Paul and Jarred ran over to see what she found

"Isis pharmaceuticals, remember them? They came here and held a huge assembly talking about all the renovations and stuff?" Vanessa asked showing them the letter that was sent out to the students and teachers.

"Yeah, but what about them?" Paul asked.

"You guys said that you found a Blair pharmaceuticals emblem on the back of that monster's jacket, well, here we have another Pharmaceutical company, it can't just be a coincidence" Vanessa explained.

"Yeah, your right, who knows?" Jarred said.

After everyone read the note and rested for a while, the auditorium doors swung open and in stepped John.

"Hey John, any luck?" Vanessa asked.

"No, I ran into that monster again, but I got away, it had killed all my friends" John said sadly.

"I'm really sorry, but John, we have to get out of here, you mentioned earlier that you might know a way out of the school" Jarred said.

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that, and I've come up with a plan that will get us out of here" John said.

"That's the most exciting news I've heard all day, explain" Paul said.

"Well, one day while sneaking around the office, I found a door that lead to the basement, you know how this place used to be city hall, well, when it was built, a series of underground passages were created for evacuation just in case of an emergency. I explored them for a while, nothing but a couple of locked doors and some janitorial supplies, but I stumbled upon an entrance to the sewers, my stint in the sewers didn't last long, because eventually I got to a dead end, but I located a manhole and went through it, and turns out, it dumps out right behind one of Gaines's main roads, after that, we could head through downtown, and maybe we can find a way out the city that way, but at least we would be out of the school" John explained his plan.

"Sounds good to me" Vanessa said smiling.

At about that time, Sam came walking into the auditorium.

"Sam, we're getting out of here, we've got a plan" John said.

"Oh really? What might that be?" She asked.

"We'll explain on the way, come on guys, lets go" Paul said running out of the auditorium.

Sam and John followed, Vanessa began to run when she noticed Jarred still holding his side.

"Jarred, your hurt, are you sure your okay?" Vanessa asked.

"Well, it is kind of hard to walk" Jarred confessed.

"Lets stop by the nurses' lounge while we're in the office, we'll fix you right up" Vanessa said smiling.

"Heh, okay, thanks" Jarred said.

"Your welcome" Vanessa said.

The two shared an awkward moment of silence, both not knowing what to say to the other.

"Hey, lets catch up to the others" Jarred finally said.

"Yeah, that would be best, we're finally going to get out of here" Vanessa said, laughing lightly.

The two left the auditorium and headed towards the office, planning on making a short stop in the nurses' lounge to heal Jared's wounds...

Jill Valentine

A strange silence filled the Amp theater, creating a deadly, eerie atmosphere amongst the five youths. The word "exit" engraved a vivid image into their minds, and set their goal of survival.

"I want to go home..I miss my dog..." sighed Vanessa, releasing tension from her shoulders in a large heave of breath.

"Well if you miss your dog so much, use Sam as a substitute, eh?" Paul joked, finding his own remarks rather humorous.

"Shut up Paul, you dick!" Sam replied, giving Paul an evil glare.

"Guys please...I just lost my friends...I don't want to hear anyone fight." John pleaded, as a sad look filled his tired, droopy eyes.

The five became depressingly silent.

"Sorry John,..I meant no disrespect..." Paul apologized. "I want out of here too..."

A thought began to brew in Vanessa's mind.

"This strange company who call themselves

"Isis" must have some strong link with Blair somehow. I don't understand who would want to create such a monster to destroy innocent civilians...it just doesn't make any sense..."

"Vanessa?" came Jarred's rugged tone. "Are you alright?"

Vanessa shook the empty thoughts from her head, and smiled, assuring him she was fine.

"Yeah..Just tired that's all..are you?"

Jarred paused momentarily, revealing a sign severe of pain throbbing in his bruised chest.

"Very sore." he replied.

"Hey...what's that over there?" cried Sam, looking fearfully at a tall dark figure staggering in the darkness. "Oh my god..it's not that thing...is it?"

Hearing a triumphant roar escape the creature's powerful body, their immediate human reflex was to run.

"RUN FOR YOUR FUCKING LIVES!!" Paul yelled, happening to be the first to run in response to the monster's deadly presence.

"Where...are...we going?" Jarred gasped between breathless mummers as he sprinted down the long hall.

"To the basement!" John replied, as he began to take an immediate lead. "Where we will hopefully be safe!"

10 minutes later

The five had safely escaped the monstrous mutation, and found themselves down in the gloomy darkness of the basement. In the basement, there was several boxes filled with documents that contained information about "Isis." Paul pulled a small diary from one of the boxes, which contained several experimental observations and read out aloud;

"Experiment five commenced; 17.00hours, October 21st, 2001."

Below the bold heading, there was fine, neat handwriting, which read;

"The injection of ME3456 on specimen No. 5ME3456 has resulted in a series of side affects give by the selected human specimen. The following changes have occurred in the last 24 hours of the injection:

*severe rise in temperature, weight, and height.

*Skin has mutated into a purple/pink tint.

*bones appear to have strengthened, as well as a 50% double muscle capacity.

*intelligence, speech and intellectual capabilities have been completely eliminated..."

After Paul had read the recorded diary entry, the others stood, mortified, in complete and utter disbelief, that their own town supporting leaders, known as "Isis" were using their own people as guinea pigs for their own scientific purposes.

"I can not believe this!" Vanessa cried, instantly recognizing the situation, as answers fell perfectly into place.

"What the fuck? What's going on here? I don't understand! What the fuck is 5ME3456?" John demanded.

Paul read the fine print at the bottom on the diary entry, and replied with sense of fear in his deep tone.

"The Nemesis." he said."That thing that killed your friends..."


	5. Survivors Found And Join In A Nightmare

Carlos Oliveira

About halfway up the shoot Nathan stopped and pressed his back against the wall so he could rest his hands. He looked down and saw darkness. Knowing a fall like that would kill him, he pressed harder against the wall.

That's when he heard it. A voice from below. _Is it a survivor? Or a soldier? _he thought to himself. _Neither. I locked both doors and only the principle has a key besides the janitor. _Again he began climbing up. After a short while he reached the second floor and began trying to force the hatch open. Nothing. He hit it with the butt of the gun. Nothing. Harder still and he felt it give a little. Suddenly the hatch was ripped off the shoot and a grotesque figure stood there grinning with it's lipless face right at Nath.

"OH! FUCK!!" he shouted as he aimed the assault rifle only to have it torn from his hands by the creature.

(_Shit!! The Weightlifter!_) he thought and immediately grabbed the 9 and opened fire on the thing's face. Small holes peppered it's right eye as it raised it's huge fist. That was all Nathan needed to see, he released his legs and plummeted down. He heard the loud tear of metal from above and thought that dying this way would hurt a lot less. He tried to slow himself down and found that it was easier then he thought and suddenly he crashed on-top of something. He rolled to the side and smacked painfully into the wall. Moaning he rubbed his shoulder. (_Probably dislocated it. Fuck! So much for state champion this year._) he thought. He stood up and walked to the wall and reset it. The pain took his breath away when he smacked it into the wall. He fell to the ground and moaned fighting against the tears that were biting at his eyes. After a moment he stood and looked around seeing what broke his fall. It was a frog. At least that's what his first thought was but after closer inspection he saw that it was a HUGE frog with a beady little eyes and one hell of a long tongue hanging from it's mouth. It was dead from him landing one it but it was still a scary sight. He looked for the soldier's body and couldn't find it. The door to the room was torn open, probably from his friend upstairs. With that in mind he decided to get the hell outta here and get somewhere more open, where he could see it coming and at least try to outrun it if he could.

Nathan took off through the doors and stopped dead in his tracks. In front of him were the 5 monkeys he had seen earlier, all dead and torn to pieces. Without another glance he took off again and ascended the steps and took off for the gym. There was a panel that lead to the roof, if he could climb the ropes and scale the support beams he could get into the top floor from there and get into the electricity lab. There was a radio there and if he could get to it maybe he could get some help.

Nathan burst through the gym doors and saw about 50 of the infected walking around, the sight disgusted him but he didn't falter. He ran for the ropes and unhooked them. Grabbing one he started running as the ropes slid along their tracks. He took out a few carriers that got to close and positioned the rope underneath the panel. He holstered the 9 and jumped a bit and caught hold of the rope, his right shoulder aching almost giving out. He wrapped his leg around the rope and put his other foot underneath taking the pressure off his shoulder. Slowly, hand over hand he ascended and eventually made it to the top. He climbed onto the support beam and walked across to the panel and opened it up,.....he was on the roof!

After what seemed like an eternity of searching, he found the airshaft that lead into the electricity room and pulled it open, crawling inside and into the room. He scaled the upper floor and dropped down onto the model house that they worked on. It was really a full-scale house, but with no drywall or carpets or anything! Just lots of wires and switches. Nathan walked down the stairs and towards his desk. On top sat a small radio he had put together himself for some extra credit. He flicked the switch and tuned in to the frequency of the school intercom. He could hear the static coming over the intercom in his room and hoped it was doing the same everywhere else. He began talking real fast and clear.

"Hello? This is Nathan Law. If anyone is alive please meet me in the electricity room on the third floor, room 101. Again I repeat this is Nathan Law. Too any survivors please come to room 101, third floor. I have an escape route and have secured it. Please hurry. And to any students here, not everyone in this building is to be trusted, repeat not everyone here is to be trusted! Over" listening, all he heard was static. All he could do was wait. If anyone heard him he hoped they would get Ryan. _Ryan!?! _Shit he had forgot to mention that to anyone. What if they walked right by and left him there. Nathan flicked on the radio again and heard the pop and then the hissing sound.

"Piece of shit shortin' out on me now. What is this some kind of joke!!" he cursed at it.

Nath scaled the building of the house and pulled a board up across it and waited in the dark. If anyone came in he would have a clear view of them and also a perfect snipers roost if he hadn't lost his rifle. _Oh well. Time to play the waiting game _he thought and stared at the door hoping that whoever walked through was a friend, and brought a shitload of ammo.

Claire Redfield

Winsor stared at the others for a moment and then let out a sigh. Nemesis. A monster that was once human and Blair was somehow involved.

"So this Nemesis is after us. Why?" asked Vanessa.

Jarred and John shook their head and Paul shrugged. Vanessa looked at Winsor for her response. She closed her eyes and leaned against the basement wall.

"I am not sure, but since I am the only one speaking their opinion," she said with her usual sarcastic tone. "It is violent."

"What? That's it? Violent? Well, no shit Sherlock," Jarred snapped.

"Keep digging Watson," Winsor snapped back. "You didn't let me finish. Take away a man's ability to choose, and he will be lost and violent. Or programmed."

"So you're saying that maybe it's programmed and that it has to kill people," said John.

"No, it's ugly and needs comfort. Yes, that is what I am saying!" She opened her eyes and glared at John and then just shook her head. He had lost his friends and maybe now wasn't the time to be a wise ass.

__

Like I give a damn. They probably lost friends and family members. I'm the only one that has no one to care about. No guilt equals no responsibility for other's well being.

She had to fight the urge to smile. She loved to see others suffer in a way. It gave her a feeling that made her feel more comfortable. She always like to be mean and sarcastic, but even she knew when to shut her mouth.

"We can't fight these things off with just a gun and a shotgun. How's our ammo?," said Jarred.

"I got six more rounds," said John.

"I got 43 bullets in this useless piece of crap," Winsor said.

"How's it useless?" Vanessa asked. Winsor saw their was fear in her eyes and she knew that the others were afraid too.

"We ran into another monster. Different form the Nemesis. It was purple and hunched over ad had claws-"

"And resembled like a frog," Winsor interrupted.

"Wait, there is more than zombies and that thing out there," Paul said.

No one answered.

__

Hmm. Could the zombies be related to the Nemesis and Blair?

It didn't make sense, but it was something. If they ran into those things, they did have their weapons and if they ran out of ammo, the shotgun could be used like a bat. It was sticking out of her bookbag. Winsor touched her metal bat behind her, making sure it was still there.

"Ok, the question is where are we going now," asked Paul and Winsor couldn't help herself.

"How about the exit," she muttered.

Jarred glared at her. "Sam, do you ever quit? Do you have a conscience? You are not helpi-"

"Hello? This is Nathan Law. If anyone is alive please meet me in the electricity room on the third floor, room 101. Again I repeat this is Nathan Law. Too any survivors please come to room 101, third floor. I have an escape route and have secured it. Please hurry. And to any students here, not everyone in this building is to be trusted, repeat not everyone here is to be trusted! Over," said the intercom in the hall. The echo seemed to continue for a few more seconds, then finally died down.

"Alright. Time to get out of this hell hole!" said John.

Everyone started to move down the hall. Just a few weeks ago, Winsor had broken into the basement just to sit on the floor of the hallway to read if the library was full of the "in crowd".

__

And now look at the irony. I am with the "in crowd". It's official. I am in hell.

That was just one of the thoughts that was nagging her. Another was the thought about this Nathan Law who said not to trust anyone.

Winsor trailed behind the others, trying to keep her anyway isolated from the other people.

__

After leaving me to follow John, you guys better not fuck with me again. I don't need this shit about seeing to another person if they leave or if they are wounded.

Joker

Ryan could still see the faces of the people whose existence he had taken for granted as they were disemboweled, dismembered and devoured by the group of zombies, other people he had expected to be breathing, living and normal. The thought of people he knew being his murderer was starting to drive him insane.

As Ryan stared out at them, one of them stared back, stared deep into the pit of his soul and never broke eye contact until he could no longer see. He was dead, dead with an accusing stare pointing directly at Ryan.

"What could I do?", Ryan said to himself. "I would have only gotten killed too!" But, as the realization sank in that he did precisely nothing, the more guilty he felt.

The screams filling the air were unparalleled in their almost psychotic quality. From screams and gasps of fear to the agonized death throes, each of them stayed in Ryan's mind. The last one, hers in particular stayed with Ryan, the sound of her scream echoing in his mind.

Through all this, part of Ryan's mind detected something being said over the Public Address system, but he couldn't make out what it was...

Throwing himself into a bolt upright position from the bed, Ryan looked around, eyes dilated by the intense horror he witnessed in the dark recesses of his mind and the fear that, of those people, it could have been him.

The room was a very sterile one, not a speck of blood, entrails, corpses or any other similar things to be seen. Just him, a bed or two and someone he vaguely remembered as "Alex".

It was at that point the PA announcement he could hear as an undercurrent to the sounds of his dream became clearer.

"...and have secured it. Please hurry. And to any students here, not everyone in this building is to be trusted, repeat not everyone here is to be trusted! Over."

If Ryan felt he wasn't paranoid before, that was quite enough to make him so.

"Well, that's a pretty fucking rude awakening", Ryan muttered to himself.

He immediately felt guilty for having said it. The people he had watched being slaughtered wholesale would have wished for any awakening, no matter how rude. "If they were anything like how Mr. Rutherford turned out", Ryan thought to himself, "they'd have to be careful what they wished for. They just might get it."

Ryan gave a small laugh at his own off-beat sense of humor going on overdrive, trying to compensate for just how many personal demons Ryan would have to face. So far, his humor was putting up a good fight, but the demons were ultimately winning.

He caught himself thinking, "Why them? Why are they dead? More appropriately, why am I alive? How the hell am I so special that I survived?!?"

Ryan hadn't noticed Alex, sitting up in her bed, just watching him, perhaps trying to analyze just what sort of person he was by the thoughts he couldn't control, his subconscious.

"Fuck, I really am getting paranoid", Ryan thought to himself.

Out of nowhere, Alex said, "Why are you worried about how you survived? Just accept it."

Ryan, startled, turned to Alex. "Did I say that out aloud?", Ryan thought to himself. In his efforts to keep his own problems private, he never recalled a time when he had let something like that slip. Suddenly, his expression turned from that of a startled animal to a snarling beast.

"Wake up, Alex! My friends are dead! They're dead! They're all dead! Every last one of them! The very few people I was close to in this God forsaken place have just had their intestines used as party streamers along with a lot of other people I would never have wished this upon! Now, I can't just accept that, for some reason, I was supposed to live when the other 29 people around me died!"

If the idea of intestines being strung up like party streamers hadn't been such a scary reality, Alex might have laughed. As it was, she just stared at Ryan, shocked. Not even she had such a bleak outlook on the future.

While he had been venting his valedictions, Ryan spotted a security guard's belt hanging on one of the beds. Examining it, he could clearly see the Beretta 92F in its hip holster and pouches for two clips of ammo.

Quickly, Ryan went over to it and grabbed it. Taking out the Beretta, Ryan ejected the clip and checked it before reloading and priming the weapon with frightening efficiency.

Ryan's father had been training with the Gaines PD SWAT Team of which he was a member, so Ryan had been down to the range a few times with him. Enough so that he knew his way around a gun. But, no matter how proficient he got and no matter how responsible he was, his father always said "Youths and guns don't mix."

Ryan wondered how his dad would react if he found out about the armed security guards. Probably say, _"Well, they're competent enough to handle their own weapons."_ "Pfft, right", Ryan thought. "So competent that they leave their gun in the infirmary after a physical..." . Ryan made a mental note to check which jackass had left their gun here instead of taking it. He didn't know whether to thank his stupidity or curse it.

"But this time, youths and guns would mix", Ryan thought to himself. Despite the fact this sort of crisis would be very different to going through a few "shooting house" practices, Ryan felt more adequately prepared than most. With that, he quickly fastened the belt around himself, adjusting the holster and pouches.

As Ryan walked toward the door, weapon in hand, the safety could be heard clicking off with a hollow echo.

Alex got up somewhat gingerly from the bed and asked, "Ryan, where do you think you're going?"

"I said if I didn't die when I encountered that hunter, I'd help mount a rescue for other survivors. I'm not asking you to come along if you don't want to. Don't ask me to go back on my word. There's been enough blood shed", Ryan explained.

"That's a bit hypocritical," Alex commented sarcastically as she walked towards Ryan. "What were you going to do just now?"

"Enough human blood shed", Ryan replied in an ominous tone.

"Now it's time to shed the blood of the wild animals..."

Infinity-X

Alex took out her handgun, and continued towards the door

"So you care about other people, well I guess you probably have friends......"

Alex said in a fairly harsh voice. Ryan spoke up

"Well yeah, I'm not just gonna leave all my friends, or anyone behind and let them die!"

Alex began to walk out the door,

"Sorry!.....at least you have friends"

Alex and Ryan walked out the door,

"So where's that room, or place we're supposed to go to again?"

Alex asked, trying to sound nice about it.

"Third floor, room 101, that was it, I think"

Ryan sounded a little not sure of himself. Alex rolled her eyes,

"You...think, really I wasn't aware that you thought much"

She began to laugh very hard.

"Sorry, I think that's it too."

They both began to walk down the hall, keeping an eye out for any survivors. The halls were trashed, with dead bodies, and everything else. Just then something fell off of a table in the hall, Ryan looked back.

"What's wrong, it's probably just some zombie knocking stuff around"

Then something came around the corner, something huge.

"OK! What the Fuck is that?!?!"

Said Alex quietly.

Ryan said kinda loudly,

"It's something big, I think is called a nemesis, and I think we should run!"

"No! Really!?!?!"Screamed Alex, sarcastically.

They ran down the hall as fast as they could, unfortunately Alex couldn't run too fast because her leg still hurt from that zombie bite.

"Nooo!"

Alex fell hard on the floor, and hit her head on a locker. She was instantly knocked out.

City of the Dead

"Shit" Ryan thought to himself. He had half a mind to turn and run, but he couldn't just let the Nemesis kill her, he battled with himself for a minute, before making his move. Ryan bravely tore off towards Alex.

__

Goddammit, I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die

Ryan stopped and stood about nine feet away from the creature, his knees trembling. He aimed the Beretta towards the head of the beast and opened fire. The shots rang out instantly as the monster growled in pain and reached for it's disfigured face. Stumbling forward a bit, Ryan saw his opportunity. He took a deep breath and almost with an involuntary push, ran over to Alex, picking her up very quickly, he draped her arm around his shoulder and ran as fast as he could with her. He went down the hall, hoping to exit before the monster recovered...

Jarred, Sam, Paul, Vanessa, and John stood in the grand lobby of the school, trying to organize a new plan.

"Now we have a dilemma" Paul said. "We can meet up with that Nathan fellow, or we could head to the office and secure our way out of here"

"Well, Jarred needs medical attention, and that is on the way to the office" John said.

"How about we split up into two groups, one will head to the nurse's lounge and the other can meet up with Nathan, and then we can all meet up again in the lobby and discus our method of escape" Vanessa said.

"How about you all go meet up with Nathan, and I head to the nurse's lounge alone" Jarred said.

"Fine by me" Sam said out loud.

"No, your in no condition to head off by yourself" Paul said.

"What are you talking about? Its not that bad, I can still run, fire, and shoot, it just...hurts to" Jarred said.

"I'll go with you" Vanessa said.

"There's a shocker" Paul sarcastically said.

"The rest of you guys go find that Nathan fellow" Vanessa said.

"Will do" John said. "Sure you guys will be alright?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine" Jarred said. "Get going, call on the cell phone with any news"

"Alright, good luck guys" John said.

Sam, Paul, and John ran up the stairwell, and headed towards the elevator.

"Come on, lets get you all fixed up" Vanessa said walking to the office door.

"Vanessa?" Jarred called to her as she started to turn the door knob.

"What?" She said turning around.

"Um, I..." Jarred began to say. He wanted to tell her, tell her how he felt about her, but he had never done anything like that before, he wasn't exactly popular among the women and never really had a relationship before.

"What is it?" Vanessa asked.

"I think that..." Jarred began to say

SLAM!!

He was interrupted by the sudden slamming of a door. Jarred and Vanessa's gazed turned towards a person who was carrying an unconscious girl.

"Who are you?" Vanessa yelled, startling the person.

"Oh god, my name is Ryan Bartlett, this is Alex, she has been knocked unconscious, there's something here, its huge, I think its called Nemesis" Ryan yelled, his words all ran together.

"I'm Vanessa and this here is Jarred" She said, introducing herself as well as Jarred.

"Yeah, we've had to deal with him on several different occasions already...Wait a minute, how did you know what it is called?" Jarred asked.

"I saw a document that described several things called B. O. W. hidden inside a teacher's desk, something is going on here, I don't know what" Ryan said, still hysterical.

"Okay, we're going to head into the nurses' office and fix up Jarred, he was attacked by the nemesis" Vanessa said.

"Okay, but make it quick, that thing is nearby" Ryan said with a shaky voice. "Also, we need to check out Alex here, her leg seems to have been injured as well" Ryan said.

Jarred and Vanessa looked upon Alex's leg, and like a sudden jolt of lightning, disbelief and bewilderment fell across their faces, Alex had been bitten by a zombie. They had seen it a couple of days ago, someone gets bitten, they get sick, and then turn into one of them.

"Alright, lets get her to the office" Vanessa finally said, heading back towards the door.

Alex, I know her, she's one of those chicks that will wear shirts that say PUNK and think that she is a rebellious misfit, yeah, she was in one of my classes

Jarred remembered her clearly now, she had tried talking to him once before, but with him being resentful to most people, he didn't even respond.

__

And now she has the virus, or whatever it is that turns people into these mindless zombies

Jarred thought to himself as he stared down at the body of one of the zombies. He couldn't help but wonder about all the things that have been going on, Blair, Isis, Nemesis, ME3456, something didn't add up, but he didn't care anymore.

"Get it together Jarred" He whispered to himself.

He walked to the office door, looking forward to having the pains in his stomach and ribs taken care of...


	6. School's Out

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan was tired. Not only from what he had dealt with recently,...but with waiting. He was patient....most of the time. Now wasn't one of them. He climbed down and ran to the teachers desk and searched around for a bit, coming up with a pen and paper and a ring of keys. (_Awesome_) he thought as he quickly scribbled a note down.

__

To Whomever finds this;

My Name is Nathan Law,.....Till just recently I was Captain of the school's Wrestling Team as well as student body President. I Renounce both titles. I have had to shoot my friends and only family in this horror that has befallen our school. I thought that things would be different here,...boy was I right. There was an experiment here....one gone wrong. Blair Industries is responsible I have proof to justify my accusations. They have been messing with some dangerous shit and now it's infected us all. The remaining survivors are either dead or in hiding.......I am alone. If anyone finds this know that they sent people.."soldiers" in here to kill us off. I found one and his orders on paper. I am escaping alone....hopefully this will aid someone. I wish I could've been more off a friend to all my fellow students but I let someone get in between that. To you all I am sorry. I am going back to the basement.....into oblivion. I know now that there is something down there,....and as my last remaining duty as your President of W. High.......I am going to make these bastards pay. If any survivors find this.....there is an escape route in the Principle's office and in the basement. Good luck to anyone alive and Godspeed.

Nathan Law Student body President and Captain of the Wrestling team of W. High

Staring at the note Nathan glanced down at the key ring, fingering the 2 that caught his attention and made him change his mind about escaping. Really they looked more like tiny credit cards then anything, with tiny writing he could barely make out......~_Principal's escape key. Office,.......Electricity Teach. escape key Basement._~

He clipped off the one that said, _"Principal's Office."_ and left it with the note.

Nathan set his jaw and chambered a round steeling himself for the mission ahead,.....indeed his dad would be proud.

He headed back to the air vent and climbed back the way he came and headed for the basement. The gym was empty except for 2 carriers and they were busy eating other corpses. Nathan took off down the hall and headed for the stairs. Taking them 2 at a time he landed with a thud and proceeded for the boiler room. Inside he saw the desecrated body of the soldier again and searched him more thoroughly this time. After searching his boots he came up with card key and a map, detailed of the school. Marked on the map was the words he was looking for......"Second Entry Basement Level" It was behind the boiler. The key was the same as his so he left it laying on the body. He stepped around and searched for a card reader. Finding it was easier than he thought and with a quick swipe of the card a panel slid in and up, into the wall. Nathan saw stairs leading down as well as another card reader. He took the cold ladder in his grip and began climbing down. When he reached the bottom he immediately gagged involuntary almost losing his lunch. The scene before him was horrifying. Bodies were strewn everywhere. The man up stairs was a survivor it seemed. The onslaught before him told a story alone. Seemed they were attacked from behind and wiped out in a small fire fight that killed mostly each other, rather then whatever was in here with them. The man upstairs must have been in the front and ran, explaining why he made it as far as he did. Reaching down Nathan picked up another weapon,.....a top of the line automatic rifle. He checked the clip and took the mags from the body. Tucking them into the pockets of his vest, he felt his smokes and quickly realized he needed one. He holstered the 9mm and held the weapon in his hands feeling the solid weight of it. (_No reason to take the others. Someone might come down here and need them_) he thought. Flicking the tac light on he noticed the red laser on it as well. (_Wow this is top notch shit._) Looking over it he found a small canister at the bottom which could only be a flamethrower with about half the fuel it started with but that was ok by him. He flicked the switch and with a spark of light, a flame danced at the end of the rifle.

"Now were talking." he said to himself with a grin.

Slowly Nathan walked down the hallway hoping that whatever did this to these men was long gone,....and if it wasn't........Nathan would make sure it was soon enough. One thing was for sure,.....Someone fucked with the wrong teenager and was about to get bitten in the ass for it.

Infinity-X

Alex awoke, she had the worst headache, and felt really dizzy. She noticed she was lying on a bed in some room. _How did I get here? _she thought. She looked over to the other side of the room, some other kids were over there.

"Ahh!...."

She said suddenly. It felt like someone was taking a hammer and pounding on her head with it. Alex took a deep breath, and looked over at the kids again.

Ryan looked behind him, he saw Alex was awake. So he told Vanessa, and Jarred. He looks so familiar, she thought.

"Hey ,Alex"Ryan said.

"Who...Who are you...?"

said Alex, still holding her head. He seemed so familiar but, she just couldn't remember who he was....Vanessa walked over,

"Oh My God, she don't remember you?!"

Alex tried to sit up, everything was blurry, and she was still dizzy. She rubbed her eyes, it didn't help much. She didn't recognize the girl. Ryan walked over to Vanessa....

"She hit her head really hard, maybe it's just a concussion.....or, she has loss of memory..."

said Ryan, he looked back at her, she had fallen asleep again, which was probably the best thing for her to do.

"Anyway, how's Jarred?"

asked Ryan.

"He's doing ok, I think."

Vanessa answered. Vanessa walked over to Jarred again. Ryan did the same, he figured he would see how Jarred was doing. Ryan thought, _I hope Nemesis doesn't find any of us here........_


	7. Piers And The Law Members

Carlos Oliveira

~Shady character~

He sat back carefully watching the monitors as the students wondered thought the school like cows to the slaughter.

(_They are already dead and don't even know it._) he thought mildly.

Turning slowly, his eyes surveying the monitors from left to right he stopped, transfixed by what he saw before him. It was David Law's kid walking through the tunnels.

"What the...?" the man said out loud.

"Nathan Law....how good of you to join us down here. Your daddy would be proud of you, but you can tell him that when you see him in hell." the man laughed as he pulled a small phone from it's cradle and placed a call.

"Yes this is Piers. Send the second unit into the tunnels. For one Nathan Law. Bring him to me....alive." he hung the phone back and stared at Nathan as he put down another Hunter. This one could cause trouble if he wasn't taken care of properly....unlike his father. The mistake with David had infected the town and David as well, but this time things will go smoothly. Looking at the other monitors Piers found Nemesis stalking the halls, searching for the survivors. He had made a mistake with Law, but these children would not escape. Nemesis was the most efficient killer he had and was closing in fast. Soon he thought, everything will be back to normal. With that thought he stood and walked to the large container with David's retrieved corpse laying inside.

"You will be the greatest accomplishment for Blair and Isis. After you kill your son." said Piers as he laughed to himself. David's corpse started to twitch. Piers hit the button on the side and the tank filled with a purple liquid.

"Soon you will be complete, but for now you'll sleep. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

~Tunnels~

Nathan crouched down low as he heard a door open somewhere ahead. Slowly lifting the rifle he sighted the corridor ahead and waited.

When the first man appeared he hesitated.

"Look there he is!" came a shout

With that Nathan opened fire taking out 2 of the men. Rolling back around the offshoot Nathan flicked on the laser lighter and aimed high. Firing one shot into a mans shoulder knocking him back and into another. The men returned fire until a shout was heard over top.

"Stop firing you idiots we need him alive!!"

With that Nathan knew he needed help. He flicked on the flame and unleashed a funnel of flame into the corridor before running back towards the boiler room. Something struck his leg but he kept running. Turning he fired another burst of flame down the tunnel keeping them back. He pulled out the key card and slid it down. The door opened and a hunter lunged at him. Nathan ducked and rolled to his back letting loose a bust of flame the encased the Hunters back as it flew overhead and into the approaching men. There were screams all around as the Hunter tore into the men who fired in all directions in an attempt to kill the beast. Nathan stood and took a bullet in the shoulder as he stumbled out of the room and closed the door behind him. He laid back against the door in pain and clenched his teeth hard. He looked down and saw the wound. 1 bullet in the left shoulder,...right through. Ripping a piece of his shirt off he tied it tightly around his shoulder and using his teeth and good arm made a knot. He stumbled on and ejected the empty mag, slapping in a fresh one. As he climbed the stairs he started feeling woozy. Something was wrong. Looking down he saw a dart sticking from his leg. He quickly slapped it away and made his way to the nurse's office fumbling with the door handle as he opened the door. He saw faces staring at him but he couldn't make them out.

"Help...men...coming.....for....me...need....help...drugged....and shot.....please." was all he could manage as he fell into someone's arms passing out.

City of the Dead

"What the hell?" Jarred confusingly asked, holding the unconscious stranger.

"Holy Shit that's Nathan" Ryan said out of surprise

"The guy who made that announcement?" Jarred asked.

"He's in there" A voice called from outside of the hall, accompanied by the sounds of boots hitting the tiled floor.

"Oh Fuck" Vanessa whispered with a panicked breath.

"Quick Jarred, over here" Ryan whispered running over to the wall beside the door. "We'll get them when they come in" He said.

Alex stood up from the nurses' examining table to Jarred could lay down Nathan's unconscious body. Afterwards, Jarred ran over to the wall.

"What about us?" Yelled Alex.

"Just stay put, your the distraction" Ryan said quietly.

Vanessa threw them a disgusted look. Ryan was extremely nervous, he had no idea if this would work, Jarred was taking in huge gulps of air, trying to be quiet about it when the doorknob began to turn. The door opened and in came five men, all wearing what looked like swat team battle armor and navy seal masks.

"Get down on the floor now" The man yelled towards Vanessa and Alex.

Jarred and Ryan gave each other a nod.

"GET DOWN!!!" Jarred yelled.

Alex and Vanessa fell to the floor as shots rang out through the small room. About as soon as it started, the battle was over, the soldiers lie dead on the floor. For a moment, no one said a word.

"Whoa" Jarred said, amazed as to what they have done.

Ryan and Jarred searched the bodies of the soldiers, taking their MP5-K assault rifles and some ammo.

"Vanessa, call Paul and the others, get them the hell down here now, we're leaving" Jarred said with his usual determined tone.

Vanessa called the others on her phone. The others ignored her conversation, Alex was staring off into space, Jarred and Ryan talked in the corner.

"Okay, they said they are going to meet us in the Principal's office" Vanessa said hanging up the phone.

{Half an hour later, in the Principal's office}

The principal's office was fairly large, the floor was comprised of black and white tiles. It was extravagant, much like the rest of the school. Large bookshelves and file cabinets lined the walls behind the Principal's desk. All in all, the room was fairly tidy.

"There's eight of us, should be enough to take on anything that comes our way" Paul said smiling.

Jarred, Paul, Winsor, and Ryan managed to push one of the shelves over, revealing an old wooden door that lead to the passages.

"Alright, guys, lets go over our plan" Jarred gathered everyone around. "Nathan, will you do the honors?"

"Okay, by what John has told us, these tunnels empty out into a small part of the sewer systems. Now, we have to trudge through some sewer water, but after all that, we will find a manhole, it leads up to a sewer treatment plant, we leave there and we will be approximately two miles away from the downtown area, we head into downtown, if our ammo is low, we can swing by the police station and pick some up, the Medical Center Hospital is also close by, just in case we get injured. The streets won't be safe, so I say we stick to back alleys and buildings whenever possible, we make our way to the old terminal/train station, and once we cross the tracks we will be in the industrial section of town, nothing but a bunch of old warehouses and factories, I'm pretty sure we can find a way out of the city through there," Nathan explained. "You guys in?" Nathan asked.

Everyone nodded and stood up.

"Alright gang, lets stay alive, we have about two miles of tunnel and sewer to go through" Nathan said prepping his assault rifle.

Nathan lead the way, being the first to enter the dark, wet, and dimly lit tunnels...

"Goddamn" Piers thought to himself.

He had underestimated the other kids, they had slain the second squad. Piers fumbled with the keyboards for the security monitors.

"Where is that thing?" He said, angrily searching for the Nemesis.

He scanned the hallway monitors until he found the leather clad beast wondering around the halls of the third floor.

"What a moronic creation" Piers cursed.

He got up from the monitors, picking up a H&K USP handgun, and loading in a clip.

"The first unit is probably well into downtown by now, I guess its up to me now" Piers said to himself. He shot a glance towards the dormant David Law, the purple fluid basking Piers in a violet glow.

"I'll be right back, don't you go anywhere" Piers chuckled lightly.

He exited the room and made his way towards the tunnels...

Joker

The tunnel was nearly pitch black. The dim lighting decorating the ceiling of the tunnel did almost nothing to penetrate the dank atmosphere. As Nathan moved into the ominously shadowed passageway, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

Jarred, being somewhat of a self-appointed leader of the rag-tag group, followed right after Nathan.

Ryan, realizing that it would make good tactical sense to have a larger weapon in the rear (lest the group be jumped from behind), waited patiently, ushering the others through until he was the last one remaining.

"See you on the other side, civilization", Ryan said as he closed the door and moved off to catch up with the others.

The gentle sloshing of the knee-high water could be heard as the group slowly made its way along the labyrinthine tunnels to their destination.

Ryan was soon lost in conscious thought. He wondered whether Alex would turn before they found treatment for her wound...

"That's if there is a cure...", Ryan thought awkwardly.

His train of thought was soon interrupted by Vanessa.

"You know, I don't really approve of being used as bait against heavily armed men..."

"Hey, you're alive, aren't you?", Ryan replied.

"I still say that was reckless...", persisted Vanessa.

"Maybe I should have let them drop you where you stood? At least that way, I wouldn't have had to listen to you bitching about it...", Ryan quipped, without skipping a beat.

At least one laugh was heard amongst the group. Clearly someone enjoyed his own special brand of humor.

"Jerk...", Vanessa snapped before focusing her attention on what was in front.

Ryan thought about what to say next. While it was fun, perhaps it was not best to make enemies in the group, lest at some point his life should rest in their hands.

"I'm sorry", Ryan began. "I didn't know what else to do and I had to make a decision. I didn't mean to put you in any danger. And, yes, I know that was a pretty mean-spirited joke. It's just the way I deal with things. I don't know about you but, right now, I need the laughter."

Vanessa didn't respond, but seemed to accept the apology.

"Quiet...", Nathan whispered harshly from the front.

Everyone immediately stopped moving. The quiet sound of sloshing water could still be heard. However, it was more distant.

"Someone else is here..."


	8. The Labyrinth And Its Dangers

Carlos Oliveira

"Everyone to the sides and crouch low." Nathan whispered.

(_Wow this guys good._) thought Ryan. Either that or he's watched to many movies.

The sounds started to fade away and Nathan stood.

"Ok lets keep going but be quiet." Nathan said.

As they continued on they came to a split in the tunnel.

"Shit!" Jarred said with a hint of anger.

"It seems like we are screwed again." answered Ryan.

"Why don't we split up or something?" suggested Winsor.

"Ok here's what I think and you guys tell me what you think. I say we split like Winsor said and keep looking. If anyone finds a way out come back here and we'll meet up regardless in about 20 min.'s sound good?" asked Jarred.

"Um....no. I don't think that's good." answered John.

"Well I say it's a good idea." said Vanessa.

"Ok here we go....Ryan, Alex, John, and Paul take left,...Jarred, Vanessa, Winsor, and myself go right...we give it 15 and meet back here. Split the Ammo and check these tunnels out....If you guys don't like that idea I'll check one and everyone else go the other way...anyone wannna join me feel free but that's our best options I think." stated Nathan.

"I like the first one. Lets split and check them out. Back in 15." answered Jarred.

After a bit of arguing everyone agreed and they split. Nathan leading one group and Ryan the other.

As they trudged through the tunnels Ryan tightened his grip on the assault rifle and let the tac light search the tunnel ahead.

"I don't feel too well..." Alex moaned.

"Stop here guys." said Ryan as he unslung the rifle and checked out Alex.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"I feel...strange...like kinda woozy and itchy at the same time." she answered.

"Lets just keep going." said Paul sounding a little bit annoyed.

"I agree." quipped John.

"Hold on a sec. so I can check her out you 2." said Ryan feeling a bit annoyed that no-one seemed to care that Alex was ill.

As Nathan and Jarred walked ahead, Winsor and Vanessa talked quietly while walking behind.

"Who's this Nathan guy? I've seen him around but only this year." asked Vanessa.

"Nath?!? He's our student body President. Duh! He's the Captain of the Wrestling team too. He's from Canada actually,...I heard his dad and him moved here when his mother passed. He was dating that bitch Lina." Winsor answered.

"Really? Shows how much I pay attention to things like that I guess. Lina? You've got to be kidding me? She's not just a bitch, she's a grade A bitch!. You said "was" so I'm guessing they broke up?" she asked.

"Yeah. Nath caught her cheating on him. She made a big incident about it, saying that it was because Nath wasn't paying enough attention to her. I think he's better off without her myself." answered Winsor.

"He's kinda cute actually." said Vanessa with a small smile.

"Your tellin' me! He's better then cute he's Hot!"

"I heard he's a snob." Vanessa said flatly.

"Actually that's why she cheated on him. She said that it was because he wasn't hangin' with the "cool" people. He's actually a real nice guy,...and Hot!" Winsor answered with a smile

"You like him!"

"What? No, I just think he's hot that's all." objected Winsor.

"Sure you do,...I thin..." she was cut off by Jarred's voice.

"Shhhhh! Nath hears something." he said.

They all flattened against the wall as Nath flicked the flame on and rested his finger on the trigger. There was a sloshing sound from up around the corner,...solid and deliberate. A large reptilian creature came around the corner and stopped staring at the 4. Nathan pulled the trigger and let loose a funnel of flame into the thing as it screamed and charged them.

"What the fuck is that?" asked Jarred.

"Have no idea but it's still coming so RUN DAMMIT!!" yelled Nath.

As the creature chased after them Jarred fired a few rounds into the creature and kept running.

As Ryan checked out Alex, Paul stood and cocked his head.

"Anyone hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" asked John as the sound of gunfire roared in the tunnel.

"That!!!" Paul said again.

"Shit. Help me get her up." asked Ryan.

They lifted her up and started running away from the gunfire and down the tunnel.

"Where are we going?" asked John.

"Away from whatever they are fighting and down this tunnel. We'll rest around the corner and take up position there incase whatever it is makes it passed them." stated Ryan.

As they ran Winsor fell. Nathan was picking up the rear and had his back turned. Jarred was holding Vanessa's hand and was pulling her along as Nathan trudged backward. 3 more creature came into view, joining the one on fire as Nath stumbled backwards. Looking down for a moment he saw Winsor. It seemed her leg was caught and she couldn't free it. Nathan yelled back to Jarred.

"Wait! She's caught, help me!!"

Jarred and Vanessa turned and ran back, Jarred raising the rifle looking for a shot.

Nath ran passed Winsor firing madly. 2 of the creatures fell after a few bullets ripped into some vital areas. His gun clicked empty. Dropping it he drew the 9mm and opened fire holding his ground. After a full clip one more fell, the sewage water putting the flames out with a hissing sound as the other leapt over it and onto Nath. Jarred looked for a shot but couldn't get it as the 2 rolled over in the water. Vanessa managed the get Winsor's leg freed and now both stood behind Jarred.

"For Christ's sakes Jarred shoot it!!" screamed Winsor.

"I don't have a shot!"

"Jarred do something it's gonna kill him!" yelled Vanessa, sounding panicked.

Nathan managed to stand up. He was behind it, holding it around the waist with his head down. His back was to Jarred who couldn't get a shot. With a grunt of effort Nath lifted it over his head and tossed it down to it's back. Nathan was still holding on tightly. He was bridging off the things shoulders holding it there. (_Nice Saulto._) thought Jarred as he noticed the wrestling move. Rushing forward he stepped onto the things throat holding it down under the water as he opened fire. A small burst from the rifle and it lay motionless. Winsor and Vanessa rushed forward as Nathan fell down to his back. They rolled the creature off and pulled Nathan to his feet.

"Here! Lean him against the wall." said Jarred.

"Oh my god Nath, are you ok?" asked Winsor.

"~Cough~ Ya I'm ok. Just a little winded. Good thing we don't have to wrestle those things." he answered.

Jarred and Vanessa laughed as Jarred gave her a one armed hug briefly. Winsor buried her face against Nathan's chest as she tried to suppress her laughter.

"Ok help me up."

Jarred reached down and lifted Nath to his feet. Nath looked around and saw his rifle's tac light under the water. Reaching down he picked it up and used the light to find his 9mm. After a brief search he found it and reloaded the two weapons. Taking out a smoke and his zippo he lit a smoke. Taking a long haul he exhaled and spoke.

"Damm that's good. I needed that. Thank god for water proof pockets eh?"

Smiling he winked at Winsor and leaned against the wall.

Claire Redfield

Winsor shuddered, not from the creature that had been killed, but the fact that she had gain the "trust" of Vanessa and Nathan so easily made her want to vomit. It was a quick experiment that she thought she should try and it worked.

__

And now I remember why I hate them. Vanessa a fucking weakling and Nathan is a dick with muscles. She probably thinks I'm her friend and he probably "likes" me. What a bunch of assholes.

She vowed that it would be the first and last time that she would try to act like someone from the "in crowd". No knowledge gained except more hate for them.

Vanessa shivered. "Can we go back? It's been twenty minutes."

"Fifteen actually," replied Jarred.

"Another five minutes then we turn back," said Nathan. He looked around and glanced at Winsor and smiled.

She replied with a glare and a scowl.

__

Wipe the shit out of your dirty mind, jock. You might get killed if you don't pay attention.

The path was long and the water was at a knees length. Winsor wanted to kick herself for not bringing her trench coat, the only thing that she had left behind in her locker. Her backpack carried books of horror and science fiction, her metal bat which was sticking out of the pack, and a small portable cd player. Her gun she held tightly in one hand.

Then the path stopped. There was only a wall now in front of them.

"Goddammit! Moth fucker! Now what?" she snapped.

"Hey, calm down. We have to turn back, that's all," Nathan said. "Maybe the others found a way out."

Jarred started to walk back and Vanessa caught up with him. Nathan turned and followed them, leaving Winsor standing alone.

"Are you coming or not?" Vanessa asked, looking back.

"Might as well," she muttered. She jogged back to them.

They walked all the way back, passing the corpse of the creature. It looked almost like the one that attacked Paul's friend.

__

Scratched her and then we shot it. Then that thing. Nemesis, wasn't it? It ran after us and she said that she was sick and she collapsed. Sucks to have been her then.

The water seemed to grow colder and everyone started to shiver. Vanessa walked closer to Jarred as if searching for more warmth. Winsor slowly walked behind, shivering from the damn cold, when she felt something grabbed her from behind. She didn't panic, already knowing what it was.

"Cold?" whispered Nathan. He wrapped his arms around her and Winsor felt a violent rage brewing.

"Get your masturbating-used hands off me," she growled and Nathan let go. His expression was confusion and shock.

"Don't ever touch me or I swear the last image you see will be your own death," she growled and stormed past him.

If he did touch her again, she won't stop herself from swinging and hitting him. He was lucky this time.

They stopped walking and looked around. No one else was there.

"Where is everyone?" Vanessa whispered.

Jill Valentine

The four youths stood silently, hearing nothing but the rhythmic trickle of water echo throughout the endless sewerage tunnel. Nathan breathed heavily, and the others could tell he was as anxious as they were.

"Fuck! Man this is really fucked up!"He shouted, as rage began to overtake his usually calm tone.

"Where do we go now? Vanessa, how about you call Paul again?" Jarred asked glancing around the eerie, heavily cemented passage.

Vanessa carefully slid the phone from her pocket finding it saturated with water, with it's dull, damaged appearance indicating that it was definitely broken.

"Damn it!" Vanessa cried, ditching the phone into the water. "Now what? We can't even contact them! We're screwed! Fuck it's cold in here..."

Winsor glared at Vanessa momentarily, with a look of disgust and hatred filling her broad, pale face.

"Argh shut the hell up!" her voice suddenly boomed."I'm sick of your whining! That's all you do, complain, and whine! God you stupid bitch just SHUT UP!"

Winsor's voice thundered throughout the tunnel, making slight vibrations as it echoed continuously.

Vanessa stood silently, not knowing what to do, as Winsor stood breathing heavily, her hand covering her outraged expression.

"What's your problem?!"Vanessa suddenly demanded placing her hand on Winsor's shoulder."I didn't do anything..."

Winsor violently hauled away from Vanessa's arm, as she began to walk off in the opposite direction.

"Don't touch me!"

Winsor turned back and watching the three narrowly disappear from her sight, as she backed further and further away from them. She felt bad for saying what she did, but she definitely wasn't going to apologize for it.

There was a look of hurt which overtook Vanessa's petite face.

"Where are you going Winsor?!" Nathan yelled running after her. "You can't do this! Don't go out there alone!"

As Nathan wandered off after Winsor, Vanessa tried as hard as she could to hold back her fury towards Winsor's attitude.

"Are you alright?" Jarred ask, putting his arm out to comfort her.

Vanessa pulled away.

"Fine..." she replied, leaning herself against the cold cement wall.

Suddenly, a voice came from the opposite end of the tunnel, and Jarred strongly recognized it as Paul.

"Paul?! Is that you!?" he shouted.

"Jarred?! Man where are you?! Stay where you are, we're coming!"

Hearing heavy plunges of watery footsteps, Jarred motioned for Vanessa to follow him.

"Jarred man! It's good to see you...we heard a lot of yelling back there. What's going on?" Paul asked.

Vanessa laughed, as she explained Winsors psycho reaction to her presence.

"Well," John muttered under his breath."She's right. You're a weirdo.."

Vanessa laughed harder, almost falling head first into the water. Alex stood silently, somewhat dazed and exhausted, as her pale innocent face remained expressionless.

"Anyway," Paul began, briefly glancing behind him."We didn't see much around there, just a few corpses and stuff."

Jarred nodded.

"Yeah, us too, just before Winsor chucked a sad." he replied.

"Where are they anyway?" Ryan asked peering up the dark empty passageway.

"Nathan just went to calm her down," Vanessa explained, running her fingers through her long wet hair. "They should be back by now..."

"AHHHH!! HELP ME!!!!"echoed Winsor's frightful voice.

"Oh shit!"

Paul, Ryan, and John bolted off down the tunnel, fearing what would have happened to Winsor.

"I think we better follow!" Vanessa exclaimed, getting ready to follow on after them. "Not that I care or anything..."

As they were just about to run down after the others, Vanessa fell head first in the knee deep sewer water, finding herself covered in dirty, contaminated guck. Hearing Alex quietly chuckled to herself, Jarred burst into laughter.

"YUCK!" she cried, laughing as Jarred pulled her up.

Still laughing, Vanessa suddenly felt a sharp object pierce her neck.

Flinching in pain, Vanessa rubbed her neck, as blood vigorously began to pour from the fresh open wound.

"What was that?!" Vanessa cried, as Jarred took a closer look at the injury.

"I don't know, it looks like a spider bite," Jarred explained, as he lightly ran his fingers over the two small indents, which appeared to be rather deep penetrations in her skin.

"Spiders?! Like that thing with eight legs that go HIIIISSS?" Alex cried, as her skin grew pale with fright. "And it's right there!!!?"

"Alex!? What are you talking about?" he mumbled, pressing hard down on the wound.

"Ouch! That hurts..." Vanessa grumbled, pulling away in pain.

"Mmmmmhhhhhhh..." came a sleek hiss from above them, which sent several shivers throughout their helpless bodies.

Frozen with fear, the three slowly peered up at the ceiling of the tunnel, finding a large, dark figure glaring down at them, through hungry eyes of death.

"Mmmmmmmmhhhhhh" it repeated, making slow graceful movements with it's long, stream lined body. In one rapid movement, it plunged in the water before them, positioning its self in a threatening, intimidating gesture.

"Oh shit..." Jarred gasped, the beat of his heart quickening as the creature slinked closer and closer towards them. "I think this is our queue to run!"


	9. The Interloper Of The Tunnels

Carlos Oliveira

As Nathan ran after Winsor he thought briefly about her sudden change. (_What made her act like that? We were all just trying to get along. Christ if you didn't want to talk just say so!_) he thought.

Cutting the corner he heard her scream.

"Shit! That's what you get for running off." he said to himself as he took the next corner and came to a dead halt. Winsor was sitting on her ass trying to back away from a larger then possible spider. It's thick hairy legs moving with grace as it stepped closer to her. The eyes seeming to be looking everywhere at once. It drew up on it's back legs and hissed before exposing the full length of it's fangs. Winsor looked terrified. For a brief moment he thought about leaving her there, but in his heart he knew he couldn't do it. Nath closed his eyes and turned them down as he pulled the trigger. The rounds tearing into the bloated body, tearing it to pieces. He could hear the death scream from it as it was obliterated. When the rifle clicked empty he released the trigger and opened his eyes. Taking in the scene he saw body parts everywhere and Winsor standing up staring at him.

With a distasteful look on her face she spoke, " I hope you don't expect me to thank you?"

Nathan walked past her without another look.

~~Speaking over his shoulder~~

"I don't expect anything from you. You people are all the same. You all want something good and when you get it, you chase it away. Everyone is just trying to help you and you insult them....just keep the hell away from me and we'll get along fine!" he said with a small bit of anger in his tone.

Winsor just stared as he started off down the tunnel alone. (_Did he just tell me to keep away from him?_) she thought. (_Why the hell should I care about what someone else did to you?! Your a jock....nuff said._) She thought bitterly as he walked away.

"Aren't you going to wait for your friends?" she asked.

"I don't have any friends." Nath replied without emotion.

For the first time since meeting up with him she saw something she hadn't seen before.....he seemed.....empty.

Nathan continued walking alone with his thoughts. (_Why do I even bother trying to be nice? All they do is backstab me. She probably thinks I like her cuz of the wink and trying to warm her up when she looked cold! It's not my fault I'm a bit of a flirt! People shouldn't take things so seriously all the time!_) he thought to himself. He reloaded the rifle as he walked, calming himself with every slowing breath.

Around the next corner he found a door with another keycard reader. He tried both keys but neither would fit. They seemed too small. With frustration Nathan kicked the door and turned leaning against it.

(_What would you do Dad?_) he thought. The memory of losing his father brought tears to his eyes. Having to shoot him in order to save him that's what his father had said to him. Nath never hesitated but at that moment he did and his father did something he had never done before.....he 'ordered' Nathan to kill him! Nathan closed his eyes as he pulled the trigger feeling the kickback as his father crumpled to the floor. He stared for a long time at his father before carrying out his last wish..._"Got to the school Nath...it's safe there. Above all Nath I love you and want you to live son."_

Nathan closed his eyes and wiped away the tears as he looked at the cards.

__

"Think of the solution Nath! Not the problem!" His father again. He stared at the cards and noticed that they both had a small knob on them as well as a hole. Placing them closer he thought they might fit and with a small click...they did! He slid the new card down and the door emanated a soft beep before clicking unlocked. Nathan smiled and looked up silently thanking his father. From behind he heard voices. Deciding to wait he lit a smoke and leaned there waiting for them to catch up.

Things were looking up.

Joker

Ryan didn't even know what the hell was going on. All he heard was the hiss of something not human and automatic gunfire.

Hurtling down the tunnel, hearing only the sounds of him, Paul and John sending water flying with each step.

"What the hell happened?!?", Ryan almost yelled.

"The jock got a testosterone surge", Winsor replied contemptuously. In all fairness, she owed her life to Nathan, but she didn't need anybody and would prove that at any opportunity.

Paul and John looked at each other somewhat confusedly. They didn't know quite what to make of that.

Ryan, himself, didn't know what to think. _Seemed a very odd way to phrase anything, let alone the events transpiring around screeches and gunfire._

"If you want to find the simpleton, he went that way", Winsor continued.

"Wait, you're not coming?", Ryan asked.

Paul spoke up, saying, "Er, it's probably best you don't separate yourself again. Sounds like you had a close call last time..."

"I don't need any help from you drones!", Winsor shouted indignantly, quite annoyed that these people were going to "protect" her.

"What the hell have you got against everyone, anyway?", John asked. His question was rewarded with another glare from Winsor.

The argument escalated until Ryan finally ended it.

"Enough!", he shouted. "What the hell is wrong with you people?!? The worst thing we can do is argue amongst ourselves!"

"Perhaps you should tell those neanderth..."

"Shut up!", Ryan yelled, cutting Winsor off. "You and your damn 'Holier Than Thou' thing is going to get you killed, I swear it! If not by one of those creatures, then by someone you just pissed off that little bit too much!"

Winsor stared at Ryan, shocked. Of all the people she took a verbal shot at, nobody had ever shot back like this.

"Now, Nathan saved your ass. The least you could do is regard him as a person, for Christ's sake!", Ryan continued.

"Oh, spare me your valedictions, you conformist!", Winsor shot back. "Just leave me here."

Ryan's voice went lower.

"Look, I happen to believe that everyone is worth saving..."

He looked Winsor directly in the eye.

"..even you. Now, I said I'd help these people escape and I will. Whether you like it or not, you are one of these people now! And if that means I have to drag you out myself at gunpoint, then you will be dragged out at gunpoint! Understand?!?"

"How noble of you", Winsor said sarcastically.

Ryan closed the bolt of the MP5K and flicked off the safety. He then pointed it so it wasn't quite aimed toward Winsor, but it wasn't quite aimed away either.

"If you really think I give a flying fuck about your objections, you'd better take a good long look and think again. Now move!"

After an awkward moment, Winsor started to move. She wasn't used to anybody challenging her opinions like that and she certainly wasn't used to being ordered around by anyone, let alone someone like Ryan.

"Good...", thought Ryan. "Now we're getting somewhere."

As the four marched up the tunnel to where Nathan was waiting, a silhouette filled the light eminating from the door.

A silhouette of a man with a pistol...

Infinity-X

"Oh, SHIT!"

Cried Alex running from the creature. The 3 ran as fast as they could through the sewer water.

"What else could go wrong?!?!"

Alex yelled, you could tell she was mad. Then Jarred spoke up,

"How am I supposed to know?!?!"

"Guys just, let's get away from this thing!"

said Vanessa, she was holding her neck, blood was still coming out, her hand was red, from it bleeding. Then the 3 ran around a corner. Jarred looked back....

"Ok, I think we're safe now, you ok Vanessa?"

"HELLO! Come on people, I got bit by a stupid zombie, she just got something shoved into her neck!"

Screamed Alex, Vanessa looked at her. Alex spoke again.

"Well sorry!"

she looked around the room, she felt strange. Then she looked down at her arm, it was really pale, almost completely white, it felt num too. She was also filled with anger and hate, and didn't know why.

Vanessa gave Alex a nasty look, and rubbed her neck.

"Help! Somebody, I'm trapped!"

Jarred looked around,

"Who said that?"

he said, Alex looked over at him with a funny look, and mumbled something.

"It really looks like one of us is trapped....."

"I don't know, it sounded like it came from over there.

Vanessa then said, as she pointed over at some door. The 3 walked over to the door, they heard someone inside, but the door was locked.

"DAMN!"

said Jarred. Just then Jarred kicked down the door. There was a long hall, and someone in the corner.

"Hello?"

said Vanessa softly, then someone walked out of the shadows, and looked at Alex with a strange look.

"What's your problem, so what I'm a little pale......Who are you anyway?"

Alex calmed down a little, she didn't like it when people stared at her. The guy slowly approached the 3....

"My name is David, and what's going on here?

the guy spoke, he looked around nervously.

"We don't really know what's going on, but I'm Vanessa and this is Jarred and .....Alexandra, she's usually called Alex though.

said Vanessa, Alex was watching David,"He's hot......."she thought, Alex still had her headphones with her,so she put them on and started to listen to "Bad Boy For Life".

David decided to come with the 3. They wondered where they should go, and where the others were....

Dr.William Birkin

David stood in the damp, cold air of the sewer. He stared at the three in front of him...gripping the Colt SAA he had recovered off of a corpse. "You....you people look familiar....I think I've seen you three around school before....in any event, can any of you people tell me what the HELL IS GOING ON HERE!...god..one minute I'm asleep, the next I wake up to find....well...zombies...and even more horrific creatures roaming this town...". Dave's cold, calculating eyes swept across the trio, eventually coming to rest on Alexandra. "Damn...I could get to like hanging around her...if I'm going to die at least I might get to have some fun first.." he thought. "Well, enough for these paltry little introductions...we might as well make an attempt to get the hell out of here...there's a high probability were the last ones left..." he said in a tone so completely calm, it was almost disturbing.


	10. Death And Infection

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan felt himself being pulled along by someone. Carefully opening one eye he looked around and took in his surroundings. He was in the tunnels still and being dragged by a man. Probably the same one that clamped a cloth over his mouth making him pass out from the chemical on it. He felt dizzy. The man opened a door and dragged Nathan through it and into a large room rolling Nathan's body into a cell he walked back to a desk and sat. Nathan looked around and noticed another cell next to his and a few large tubes against the far wall.

"What the hells goin' on!!" Nathan demanded as he stood.

"Well well. It seems your awake now. Welcome Nathan. Welcome to my world." said the man with a grin.

"Who are you, and how do you know me?" Nathan questioned.

"Me? Why I'm the man who's going to be richer then any other man. My name is Piers, and I knew your father." he answered with even more of a grin.

"You knew my father? Let me outta here!"

"I'm afraid that's not possible Nathan. You are to be the greatest accomplishment for Blair Industries. After you've faced my creation that is."

"Your what? Are you insane?? There are people dying out there man!!"

"Yes like your father. Oh! Wait that's not entirely true."

"What!?! What do you mean?"

"Your father lives Nathan."

"What are you talking about! That's a lie!! I know cuz I killed him after he was infected with that virus that turns people into killers!!" screamed Nathan through tears.

"Ah yes! You pulled the trigger. Now it makes sense. Well after you dispatched dear old dad I sent some men to..."salvage him" you might say."

"What!? Where is my father's body you fucking son of a bitch!!" Nathan screamed with rage.

"Why he's right there my boy." said Piers as he pointed to one of the tubes with a large creature inside of it. It's arm was mangled and replaced with huge claws, it's body much larger then a normal humans and it's head was sunken towards it's chest.

"That...is...not my.....father." whispered Nathan knowing it was but failing to accept it.

"I'm afraid it is. And soon it will run free into the tunnels after it has killed you that is." he said with a sneer.

"But why?" was all Nathan could manage.

"Why? WHY? CUZ YOUR DEAR OLD DAD RUINED MY PLANS!! HE BEGAN STICKING HIS NOSE WHERE IT DIDN'T BELONG AND NOW THE VIRUS IS EVERYWHERE!! DAVID RUINED MY PLANS AND NOW "YOU!" WILL PAY FOR THEM WITH YOUR LIFE!! I AM TAKING EVERYTHING AWAY FROM HIM! FIRST HIS LIFE AND THEN HIS ONLY SON!" screamed Piers with rage. Spittle flew from his lips as he shouted.

"No...I won't let you. My friends will stop you." answered Nathan in futile response.

"Friends? But I thought you didn't have any friends Nathan?" laughed Piers.

"It doesn't matter! Someone will stop you!" shouted Nath.

Getting frustrated with Nathan's disappearance, Ryan searched around looking for anything. A small object caught his eye. Ryan bent down and picked up the card key.

"Hey I found something!" he said smiling. As he turned around his smile disappeared as a hunter slashed down at Paul. Before he could do anything the hunter ripped into Paul's back. Everything slowed to a crawl. John was spinning and falling down. Winsor looked over her shoulder and let out a shout. Ryan reached out and tried to grab Paul but it was to late. The hunter tore through skin, muscle, and bone. Paul let out a horrific shriek and the Ryan was firing. The rounds hammering into the hunter tearing it apart. Ryan's own scream lost to him as his vision turned red. The hunter was shredded and tumbled backwards. John slid back on his hands trying to get away from it. Winsor was ducking and had her eyes squeezed shut. Ryan was still firing as the gun clicked empty. Once, twice, three times before he let go of the trigger. John stood and walked over to Ryan touching the barrel of the gun lowering it.

"Ryan.....Ryan. Let it go man. Ryan look at me!" John commanded.

Ryan glanced to John and then to his hands. Lifting one he saw it was trembling.

"Are any of us going to get out of here?" he asked.

"I hope so man." answered John.

"Ryan look...I know you wanted everyone to live but it doesn't always happen that way." Winsor said as she too stood.

"No....NO! If one more of you people gets killed I'll never forgive myself. It's not supposed to be this way!" he said holding back his feelings.

"Lets try and see if we can save another life to make up for Paul's ok? Nathan needs us." John said.

"Your right. We need to help Nathan. God only knows what is happening to him." said Ryan.

Silently they all said a quiet prayer for Paul.

Jill Valentine

The unfamiliar stranger, who introduced himself as David, stood patiently as he waited for Jarred to decide the next direction they were to take.

"We have to find the others," pleaded Alex, running her hands along her pale arm.

Jarred hesitated before responding.

"Yes..that's what I am trying to figure out...I am not sure which direction they took! If only they waited for us..."

Vanessa shivered from the cold air that brushed gently over her skin; as small goose bumps began to appear as the cold wind grew stronger.

"Well I am suggesting we go that way," Vanessa said, heading out the opposite door of the room. "I'm sick of tagging along with the others...they don't like me anyway...specially Winsor..."

Jarred blocked Vanessa's path, his facial expression filling with reassurance and hope.

"No, we are going back for the others," he replied, in a strong, clear voice."We are going to get out of here ok, just help me get through this, alright?"

Alex and David had indicated their agreement with Jarred's suggestion, but Vanessa refused to follow.

"I'm not going back there," she cried, throwing her hands up in the air in a frustrated motion. "I hate it here!!! I hate everything!! I just want to fucking go home!!"

The strident ring of Vanessa's voice had echoed throughout the hollow tunnels that intersected at the turn of every corner. The echo could be heard several meters away, grabbing the immediate attention of the others.

Shooken and upset by Paul's death, Ryan, John, and Winsor stood silently, watching and waiting....wondering where Nathan had mysteriously disappeared off to, not realizing the danger he was in....

Dr.William Birkin

Laughter began to fill the tunnel, laughter coming from David. He grinned widely and then said between his fits of hysterical laughter "HOW PATHETIC....you people are arguing over something as idiotic as who hates who...and were in a life or death situation...typical...UTTERLY TYPICAL...". Dave's face grew very serious then "Now...lets think of this rationally...these friends of yours...how are they at shooting? Do any of them have some kind of skills we can use..." David calmly looked as the others stood in shock. "LOOK...they might be dead for all we know, but then again they might not!" yelled Jarred, obviously growing agitated with David's detached outlook on things. "THE ODDS ARE YOU'RE LITTLE COMRADES ARE GONE, DECEASED, THEIR METABOLIC PROCESSES A MATTER OF INTEREST ONLY TO HISTORIANS....now, we have the chance to get the hell out of here....or....we can go back there...which I STRONGLY recommend against...you don't understand what will follow these creatures..." David grinned as the others looked confused "Lets just say I've seen things...things that make those zombies look like nothing....and those things are coming...now, we either risk our lives to save a bunch of stragglers who may or may not be trusted....or we get out of here with our lives....its up to you people, in any event...you'd better think fast..because if we stay in one place for too long, were going to be dead either way.."

Infinity-X

"Hey David, did you just get out of the psyche ward!?!?!, We got to find them, I mean Ryan saved my life!"

Said Alex furious, she looked over at Vanessa, Jarred was trying to calm her down.

"Didn't you hear me?!?! I said I want to FUCKIN' GO HOME!"

Vanessa yelled to Jarred, for once Alex actually cared, so she spoke up again....

"Calm down!....look I'm sorry, we all wanna go home, but, not until we find everyone else......and I have a really bad headache, and your SCREAMING is making it worse!!!!"

David started to laugh again, he walked over to the 2 girls...

"What is your problem? Vanessa's mad, and Alexandra here, has a headache, _how stupid!_

David said, Alex looked at him with a nasty look, her impression of him being hot, was turning into an impression of a jerk. So she said,

"How would you like getting bit by a zombie?!?! My skin is all dry, I'm extremely pale, I feel sick, and I have a headache!"

Alex was right in his face, she didn't like his attitude. Alex then scratched her arm, and a piece of her skin peeled off...

"SHIT!!! Ugh, nasty! Is there some sort of antidote? I really don't wanna die a zombie....." she said, Jarred looked at her,

"We'll keep our eyes out for one, don't worry"

Jarred said fairly annoyed, Vanessa looked and you could tell she didn't care. David was still laughing his evil laugh. Alex actually wanted to leave just as much as Vanessa did.....maybe she would leave. And if Vanessa wanted to come too she could....then they could just get out and forget everyone else. Alex thought deeply, she wasn't sure what to do.


	11. Recognizing Love And Confusion

Dr.William Birkin

David stopped laughing for a minute...blinking rapidly as if just having had a blinding light shone in his eyes, he stared at Alexandra's arm. The rage and hatred began to die out.."Oh...oh my god....you...you've......" David couldn't even finish the sentence...he backed off slowly, shaking his head in disbelief. "NO....not...not you also..." David said with a look of shocked horror, remembering the last person he had seen change into one of those things. "Great..the first person I actually felt something outside of contempt for and now she's dying" thought David angrily. David couldn't think of any way to react to this, he had never felt this afraid in his entire life, stammering for words he just looked into Alexandra's eyes and said the first thing that popped into his head "L-look...uh...if...if you die I'm going with you..."

David stood there, thinking how much he had failed...how he had failed his family...himself..and now Alexandra...he had wanted to tell her how he felt about her..but now..now it was just a matter of time before they got to the sewer access to that facility. And then he knew they would find out what he had been hiding from them..hiding from everyone all along..then he would really be in for it..

Claire Redfield

Winsor, Ryan, and John waited for what seemed like years for anyone to show up. Or anything, but ten minutes went by and the only sound that was heard was some water drizzling down the walls. Nathan was gone. Paul was dead. The only thing they found was a card key which Ryan stared at for awhile.

Ryan. He was someone that Winsor knew that cared about life, but he was something else. He actually talked back at her. Sure, other people have talked back, but their threats and disses were pathetic. Ryan though, actually surprised her. She would have never guessed that anyone would reach to her standards of remarks.

John looked at Ryan and then at Winsor. "We can't wait here. The others are probably looking for us."

Winsor nodded, knowing that now wasn't the time to make a remark to them. Especially since Paul's corpse was eight feet in front of them. The way he died was horrible, but he knew about the dangers that they were in.

__

What about the spider? I didn't expect that to be a monster. How did it grow to that size? It's impossible.

Winsor shook the thought out of her mind. She had a fear of arachnids since she was little and seeing a spider the size of a dog made her body freeze. She had a gun, but forgot about it; the fear making her weak, confused, and horrified to use it. Then Nathan killed it, making her angry and more confused. To have a monster killed by someone, without her even wounding it made her feel weaker.

__

No way in hell am I going to become weak. I'm going to get through this with or without help. And Nathan-

Why did he save her? She had treated him and the others like shit. So why would anyone help her? Save her? It made no sense.

"We can't leave him here," said Ryan, his voice was low.

"We have no choice, but to leave him here," John said quickly.

Ryan sighed and slowly nodded. He looked around and then looked down the tunnel. "Let's find the others. The more people we find, the better of our chances of surviving and finding Nathan."

Winsor kept her mouth closed as they walked away from the corpse.

"JARRED?!" John yelled an Winsor jumped at the sudden yell.

"What in the hell is wrong with you?" She snapped.

"Hello, if we call them, they will find us," he snapped back.

Ryan looked at them and nodded. "VANESSA?! ALEX?!"

Ryan and John shouted the names as they walked down the tunnel. Winsor just continued to walk, remaining quiet, when Ryan looked at her. She knew he wanted her to help them and she just closed her eyes tightly.

__

Might as well....

She opened her eyes and took a breath. "JARRED?! NATHAN?! VANESSA?! ALEX?!"

Now all of them were shouting. Their voices carried down into the many tunnels of the underground.

"JOHN?! RYAN?! PAUL?!" came the recognizable voice of Vanessa.

"VANESSA! WE'RE OVER HERE!" Ryan shouted and she saw that he and John were smiling. Winsor wanted to smile, but refused to.

__

Notice there was no SAM or WINSOR yell. Oh yeah, these people are really going to save my ass next time, her mind said sarcastically.

The sound of splashing water snapped her out of her thoughts. With a turn around the corner of the tunnel, Jarred, Alex, Vanessa, and another guy seen them. Everyone ran to each other.

"This place is like a goddamn maze," Jarred said.

"No kidding," John replied.

The stranger stepped forward.

"This is David," Vanessa said sweetly. Winsor wanted to literally smack her for being herself. Bitchy, whining, nice, popular girl.

David nodded and then Alex broke the silence. She looked paler and sick-looking than the last time Winsor saw her.

"Where's Paul?"


	12. Promises To Keep

Dr.William Birkin

David looked at the other group of people..the faces looked familiar but he couldn't put names to them "Doesn't matter...they'll wind up dead just like everyone else.." he thought to himself. David's empty, sorrowful eyes peered at Alexandra's arm once more before darting away. "I may even wind up having to shoot....no...no I'll turn the gun on myself first...." his mind raced through every possible route to the maintenance elevators, but he knew they would probably be too late....

His problems were just beginning, and he knew this whole unpleasant experience would probably wind up in betrayal and his death..his luck had to eventually run out....

City of the Dead

"Paul is dead" Winsor said finally. "Killed by one of those...hunters"

Jarred was surprised at his reaction towards the news, he was saddened, but not as much as he felt he should be. He looked over towards Vanessa, who just stared off into space. Jarred sighed and looked back towards David.

"David, what's it like in the city?" Jarred asked.

"Lets put it this way, this is just an appetizer" He said in a low hum.

John turned to David, a look of aggravation falling upon his usually calm face.

"What the hell is out there?" John asked.

"I've given everything names" David laughed. "There's the gravedigger, I got that name from where I saw it actually, I was down at Riverside Cemetery, trying to, maybe follow the train tracks out of town." David explained. "As I was walking through the graveyard, the ground began to rumble, I had no clue what it was...Until a gigantic snakelike worm popped up out of the ground, tossing tombstones like playthings, I got the hell out of there, but I don't think its just confined to the graveyard, it could be anywhere now"

For a second, no one said anything, the sounds of dripping water were augmented by the group's stunned silence.

"Oh that's just the first, there are the brainsuckers, the slashers, the lickers, the list goes on and on" David said.

"How is the sewer treatment plant, you know, the building we're about to head into?" Jarred asked.

"Oh, when I went through it, all I encountered were a few zombies and some brainsuckers, no biggie" David said leaning against the old brick wall of the tunnel.

Jarred didn't like the sound of this, Brainsuckers, he didn't even want to think of how David gave them that name, but they had to get out of town, and if they had to go through all those things he had mentioned, so be it. Jarred had another idea in mind for himself though.

"Okay everyone, I'm going to go find Nathan, you guys head up to the sewage plant, get out of here, and head into the city, we'll meet up with you somewhere along the way" Jarred said.

"Are you crazy?" Vanessa shouted, surprised by his plan.

"Alone? Nemesis is wandering around these tunnels, not to mention the hunters that got Paul" Ryan said.

"Trust me, it'll be alright, just get out of here" Jarred said.

Vanessa couldn't believe what he was proposing, the tunnels weren't the type of place to wonder around alone, hunters were everywhere, and with the horribly dim lighting (compliments of rusty lights that hung off cords from the ceiling), they would be hard to see coming.

"Jarred, I don't want you to do this" Vanessa said with concern, but Jarred ignored her.

"Okay everyone, get going, I'll catch up with you later" Jarred yelled.

"Good luck buddy" Ryan said.

Everyone began walking down the tunnel, Vanessa, saddened by his decision, turned around and began to follow.

"Vanessa" Jarred called. She turned around and faced him.

"Your going to make it, I can sense it" Jarred said.

"Heh, don't jinx me" She said smiling.

"Nah, its not a jinx, your strong, I've known this since the first time I saw you, before all this happened, when everything was simple" Jarred said to her.

Vanessa stared into his dark brown eyes and felt that wave of relief that he always gave her when she was feeling nervous or scared, he always managed to keep her calm, even in the most chaotic situations.

"I...Don't want you to go" She said.

"Like I said, I'll meet up with you later, I promise" Jarred said gazing into her unique bluish-green eyes, even though her hair was wet and her face was dirty from the spill earlier, she was absolutely beautiful.

Jarred walked up to her and hugged her, feeling her damp hair against his shoulder.

"Come back to us okay?" Vanessa said, her voice almost a whisper.

"You can count on it" Jarred said smiling.

The two separated and shared an awkward silence, both of them not knowing what to do or say.

"You should catch up with the others" Jarred said.

"Oh yeah, well...Um...Take care" Vanessa said. She looked at him one last time, and then ran down the tunnel to catch up with the others. Jarred's words echoed through her mind.

__

I'll meet up with you later, I promise

It was a promise, she didn't know if he could keep...

Nathan sat in his cell as Piers watched the security screens, stopping periodically to take a sip of coffee.

"Well, it looks like one of your friends has separated from the group, he must have a death wish" Piers laughed.

His smile soon turned to a frown, angry at Nathan's sudden vow of silence. He angrily got up from the chair and turned to the boy in the cell.

"No bother, if the other B. O. W. don't take care of him, then the Nemesis will" He said walking up to the cell.

Nathan sat on the bench, trying to ignore Pier's taunts, using the only method he had of fighting the madman...pissing him off.

"And when your father has completed his metamorphous, you too will be taken care of as well, I'm looking forward to that" Piers said, looking in on the silent Nathan Law.

Piers snickered, and walked back over to the monitors, sitting back down and resuming his surveillance, his words piercing Nathan's thoughts.

__

Separated from the group, more than likely it's Jarred.

Nathan thought about all of the survivors, Winsor's attitude, Jarred and Ryan's courageousness, Vanessa's strength and determination, John's nonchalant outlook, and Paul and Alex...

He sighed, remembering Piers' news. He was laughing like a maniac when he told him that Paul had been killed by one of those hunters, it happened about five minutes after Nathan was thrown in the cell. Alex had been infected with the virus, and Nathan knew that she couldn't fight the virus for too much longer.

Nathan had spent the last few days helping others, now he is the one who needed help, he closed his eyes and whispered a small plea, heard by no one but himself.

__

Come on Jarred, get me out of here...


	13. Secrets Behind Doors And People

Dr.William Birkin

David began to look indignant. "WAIT..you people are talking about leaving now..have you totally forgotten? She's infected..we have very little time.." he said fearfully nodding to Alexandra "And I don't know about you..but I'm not letting her die....". Winsor angrily glared at David "Look...I don't know who you think you." She was silenced by a piercing glare deep into her eyes by David, who now had his weapon raised "Yes...I've heard of you...you're the sociopath...Winsor is it? Yes...well..look...I'll be honest here..in my opinion you..me...the others..all of us can die for all I care..as long as she's ok.."

Meanwhile..in the laboratory, a dark suited figure stood over a security monitor watching the tunnels..seeing Jarred he began talking into an intercom to the room Nathan was in "Piers..we've got incoming...its one of you're...test subjects little friends..." "Good...we can see the creatures effectiveness..." replied Piers. Security director Markenson lit a cigarette, loading a clip into his Glock 17 "Why the hell hasn't that kid we sent killed them..." picking up a file, he laughed at it and threw it in the trash "I knew hiring him was a bad idea.."

the file read

Name: David Sunderland

Age:15

Status: operative currently on surveillance operation of outbreak survivors.

Carlos Oliveira

The worst was the waiting. He never thought anything could be this strenuous before. His tears about his father had long since dried and he was feeling empty again....but this time there was something else....strength..resolve....determination to never let this madman get away with this.

Nathan looked around while Piers was gone to the bathroom. There was nothing of use in here. Looking over at the remains of his father he cringed.

"Dad?....It's me Nath dad. Can you hear me?" Nathan asked pleadingly.

The creature remained motionless.

"Dad please try to remember me?" Nathan begged.

Silently he cursed everything that was ever said to be good. To him...everything was evil now.

Jarred hurried along to the passage where Nathan was seen last. Ryan had given him the cardkey in case he needed it to enter a room. Jarred thought silently to himself that if he ever got outta here alive he was going to tell Vanessa how he really felt. There were some awkward moments between them both but he knew there was more then a spark. Abruptly after taking a corner he spied the door Ryan had told him about. As he approached he saw the card reader and slipped the card from his pocket. Checking to see he was loaded up he slid the card down and after a short beep the door unlocked. Jarred stepped through and the door closed behind him. Searching that side he noticed that there was no card reader on this side. Strange he thought, seeming as though it was a one way trip. Silently he crept farther into the tunnel.

Shortly later he heard the sounds of someone talking. It sounded like a one sided conversation. Coming to a very large door Jarred looked around and saw a card reader on both sides of the door. Waiting until the talking died he separated the 2 cards and slid them both down into each card holder at the same time.....nothing. He tried them in the opposite readers and with a soft "ping" the door opened slowly. Taking in the room quickly he saw A large monitoring device against the far wall and a few large tubes against another. There was a creature in one of them and by the looks of it a very dangerous one too. Against another wall was a few cells. Sitting on a cot in the first on was...Nathan. Slowly Jarred crept around the room and headed towards Nathan who hadn't seen him yet. Before he could call to Nathan he heard a door open and quickly hid behind a tube and waited silently. A man came walking out and into the room stepping up to Nathan's cell.

"It's almost time Nathan. Old daddy dearest is about to test his new strength on his only child ha ha ha. Are you going to fight you daddy Nathan or just let him destroy you?" taunted the man.

No response.

"Very well Nathan have it your way. I'll be back in a few and then you will be the first to witness the newest evolution in mankind's history. The world will be overcome with my genius and then I shall have what's rightfully mine. The respect of all those who doubted me. Soon." with that said the man disappeared again into the door.

Jarred crept to where Nathan's things were laying on a table. Lifting them quietly he walked over to Nathan's cell. Nathan didn't even lift his head to see who was standing there until he heard Jarred's voice.

"Nath? You ok?"

"Jarred!?! Your here! Get me out man please hurry!" Nathan pleaded.

"Shhh. No problem just take this and get ready ok?" Jarred answered as he passed Nathan his equipment.

Feeling the solid weight of his weapons made Nathan feel almost whole again. He looked down at the lock and told Jarred to stand back. As Jarred backed away Nathan fished out something from his pocket and pressed it into the locking clamp. Tying a small wire to it he lit the end with his zippo and watched as the "fuse" ran it's length before exploding silently with a puff of smoke. The door swung open and Nathan was free.

"We have to get outta here man." said Nathan as he checked his ammo and reloaded everything.

"Can't. The way we came in has not way back through we have to find another way." answered Jarred.

"Where is everyone else?"

"Their heading on without us. I told them we'd catch them later."

"Why...why did you come back for me?" Nath asked.

"Because you'd do the same for any of us. You've been taking risks for everyone not worrying about the consequences. It's time for us to work together." answered Jarred.

"Thanks Jarred. That means a lot."

"No prob. First we need to destroy that thing over there so it doesn't get loose."

"NO!" Nathan whispered harshly.

"We can't. That's....it's my father."

"What!?!" asked Jarred incredulously.

"It's a long story....but that's my dad. He's being used by Piers for his experiment."

"The man I heard earlier?"

"Yeah...that's him." answered Nath.

"Are there anymore people around?"

"No. Just some soldiers out looking for survivors but other then that there is only him." answered Nath.

"Then I say we grab this clown and get some answers. Also see if there is a cure. Alex has the virus and doesn't have long before she's one of those things." Jarred stated.

"Ok soun...." Nathan started but was cut off by the sound of Piers voice on an intercom system.

"Welcome...Jarred is it? I'm pleased that Nathan will have some company to entertain me while my creation tears you both apart ha ha ha!" Piers laughed maniacally.

"See that door to your left? That is the testing facility. You will proceed into it or die." commanded Piers.

"Suck my dick bitch!!" yelled Nath.

"I've had enough of your fuckin' around man. You want me?...come and get me then Piers you fucking psycho!!!" Nathan screamed in rage.

"No. I think you will be better suited to show me how well my creations deal with human threats ha ha ha! Now into the door!!" shouted Piers as a strange gas filled the room.

Both their eyes burning and breathing getting harder Nathan and Jarred stumbled into the door and out of the screening room. They knew it was suicide but had no choice for the gas would kill them without a fighting chance. At least this way the had a chance....even if it was a small one. Nathan lifted the rifle and flicked on the flame. Flicking the tac light on he surveyed their new surroundings. Jarred standing next to him spoke quietly....."Vanessa, please be ok?"

"Seems we're in a maze of some sorts." stated Nathan as he noticed a few entrances into the maze and a few turns and corners here and there.

"Great. Ever thought you'd be doing this when you became student body Pres.?" asked Jarred with a chuckle.

"Nope. Kinda thought I'd be having more fun then this."

Jarred chuckled as Nathan grinned slightly and then after a sec. joined in with Jarred.

"So....door number one?...door number two....or door number three?" asked Nath.

"Door? Don't you mean opening?" laughed Jarred.

"Whatever."

"Lets take the one on the right." suggested Jarred.

"Ok you wanna lead or me?" asked Nath.

"Well you got the flame thrower so......you take front...I'll take back and if we die.....well then I guess we should have done it differently right?" Jarred said with a smile.

They both laughed suddenly, but stopped when they heard a door open from across the room. Seem's something was coming into the maze...and like it or not...they would eventually run into it. Both men looking as strong as they ever had they stepped into the maze.....

Jill Valentine

There was a well of emotions that built up inside Vanessa; fear, trust, loneliness, affection....

She didn't want Jarred to go, but she knew that it was the only choice if everyone were to survive this endless nightmare.

"I have to go back..." she thought to herself, hesitating at whether or not she should turn around and go back for Jarred.

Her hands nervously twitched as she slowly followed on from the others, as she stopped, and looked back seeing Jarred's figure disappear through a separate passage down the tunnel.

She couldn't hold herself back, she wouldn't let Jarred go by himself. Turning back immediately, without a sense of doubt, Vanessa ran towards the opposite direction where Jarred was headed; ignoring the helpless pleas from the others for her to come back.

"Let her go," she heard Ryan say, sincerely."She needs Jarred around..."

Closely approaching the door to the separate passage, Vanessa quickly slid in to the gap in the door that was rapidly closing in. Standing on the other side of the door, she noticed she was in a long dark passage that led to what looked like a laboratory.

Suddenly, she heard the voices of Nathan and Jarred, and followed by the evil laughter of an unknown man.

Keeping her small frame against the wall where she could not be seen, patiently listening to the three argue and shout at each other. Without warning, Jarred and Nathan were forced into a separate room, the strange man who was known as "Pier" locked them in there; prepared to perform whatever experiments on them that he wanted. Hearing the man in deep telephone conversation with his "master" Vanessa took every opportunity to think of a plan to get Nathan and Jarred out of that room.

"Yes I know sir...No sir I didn't...But sir...These experiments will be successful I assure you...Yes sir..right away..."

Slamming down the phone in out rage, the man grabbed the key card, and exited the laboratory. Knowing it was safe, Vanessa rushed to the door, trying desperately to open it, without success.

"Fuck!" she cursed, slamming her fists against the door. Noticing there was an observation glass window that extended across the room to view it's surroundings, Vanessa saw Jarred and Nathan patiently standing there; they seemed to be in decision of what door to enter. She pounded her fists heavily against the glass, hoping they would see her, but her presence made no avail.

Dazed and confused, she grabbed a rather large chair and threw it against the glass, fracturing, but not shattering it. Knowing she had gotten Nathan and Jarred's attention indicated by their confused facial expressions, Vanessa attempted several more times to break the glass, finally succeeding.

"Vanessa?!" Jarred stuttered, speechless."What..What the hell are you doing here? You could get yourself killed!"

Vanessa smiled, climbing over the glassless opening that separated the laboratory from the experimental observational room.

"I don't know...I just..." she lied, glad to see that the two were alive. Falling into his warm embrace, sinking her face into the warmth of his shoulder. He seemed surprised by her action, but hugged her back.

"Come on guys, save this shit for later," Nathan joked, nudging Jarred's arm.

"Well let's get out of here then!" Vanessa exclaimed, heading towards the broken glass opening.

"No..." Nathan replied, seeing the astonished facial expressions of both Jarred and Vanessa."We can't exit that way. I have to see what's in these doors..."

Vanessa's heart skipped a beat.

"What?!" she cried."In there? You are crazy we could get killed!"

Nathan's face filled with anger.

"I'm going in there ok! With, or without you!"

Turning the knob of the first door, Nathan entered the room, Jarred and Vanessa following behind him...


	14. Redemption Of The Traitor

Dr.William Birkin

David stood silently...the others around him seemed frightened and vengeful...but David didn't care. David was replaying his horrific past in his mind..how spiteful and cruel he had been..how the second he was offered a chance to rat people out to those freaks in that underground pit they called a lab he jumped and took it...they'd said the son of the county medical examiner would be ideal for their uses..how they would know the inside track on any investigation into them,,"They can rot in hell...just like I'm going to.." muttered David as he checked how many rounds were in the revolver. His blue eyes glanced from Alexandra back to his gun, "You uh...you do know we have NO chance to survive...you're friends..Jarred and...Vanessa was it? yes..the two love birds...they have most likely met their fate now...". Love...death...fear..all of these words now meant nothing to David, because he felt them all now...he had never felt about anyone else the way he felt about Alexandra, and yet he knew death was coming very soon. Trivial..this was all trivial, sighing, he pulled the hammer back on the SAA and began to walk down the tunnel...wanting to meet death halfway, rather than have the darkness envelop him. "What the hell are you doing???? Jarred told us to stay together are you deaf or something!" yelled Winsor after him, slowly turning..it became obvious to Winsor, Ryan, John, and Alex what he planned to do. "No...but its time....you people may very well make it out of here alive...but I don't deserve to, if I did it wouldn't be right...I deserve to die along with this town..." he said, and he slowly began to walk off. Alex began to say something to him but he couldn't hear her..his thoughts drowned it all out.."No...I'll just find that freak Piers...and put a bullet in his brain..time to repent...time to redeem myself if only slightly".

City of the Dead

Winsor, Ryan, Alex, and John watched David disappear into the darkness; collectively they had come to the conclusion that he knew something about what was going on.

"Oh well, I didn't like him too much anyways" Winsor said.

"Now what do we do?" Alex asked.

"What else? Let's head to the sewage treatment plant, we're almost there" John said.

Alex stared off into the darkness where David had disappeared, she didn't want him to leave, and he seemed kind of nice. Her train of thought was cut off by a sudden fatigue, she felt like she was going to pass out for a second, but then it faded. The virus was getting worse.

"Guys, I don't feel too good" Alex said.

"John" Ryan called. John walked over to him. "I was thinking, it's highly unlikely that we will find an antidote down here, once we're in the plant, how much time do you think it will take us to head to the Medical Center hospital downtown?" Ryan whispered.

"Hmmm, judging by the distance, and if we don't make any stops, I would say about two hours" John replied.

"Do you think she can hold out until then?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know, we'll have to see" John said. "Come on, let's get to the plant, our path is about to change" John said pointing down the dark tunnel.

The room was fairly large, the ruins of a house sized building sat in the center of the room. Vegetation was everywhere; vines wrapped themselves around the cracked cement. The building was about three stories, and chunks of the wall were missing. Nathan, Jarred, and Vanessa stood close to each other, examining the room with their eyes, watching for any threats.

"What is this?" Vanessa asked.

"I don't know, but it can't be good" Nathan said.

Suddenly, a voice came over an intercom.

"Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha, welcome to stage 1, your fixing to face a little...obstacle in your path, if you succeed in defeating them, you will be directed to stage 2, and so on, don't disappoint me, put up the fight of your life, ha ha ha ha" The obvious voice of Piers echoing throughout the area.

"Come on, let's head into that small building" Nathan said walking ahead of them.

Nathan was determined to find out what Piers was up to, it was enough to throw him in a cell, but he had to bring his father into this, Nathan was pissed off, and someone was going to pay for it.

The trio walked into the building and looked upon a scene of slaughter, they had grown accustomed to it, and no longer had any reaction towards it. Several mangled bodies lay scattered on the floor; blood was splattered on the walls along with bullet holes. The bodies looked like the guards Jarred and Ryan had seen in the school.

"Wonder what happened here?" Vanessa said.

"I don't know, but we're probably going to find out" Nathan said looking up and down the halls.

So far there was nothing, only the gruesome sight that laid before them.

Jarred walked over to the bodies and searched them, he found several clips of ammo along with a piece of paper.

__

To all soldiers from the Gamma Force, you have been selected for Operation Sliver, a covert op that will aid in the future of Blair pharmaceuticals.

Isis Pharmaceuticals and Blair have been in cooperation ever since the two companies started work involving bioorganic research back in 1996. In exchange for funding, the city of Gaines, Colorado struck a deal with Blair and Isis, agreeing that certain areas of the city would be bought out by the two organizations. When the F. B. I began looking in on the actions of Blair and Isis, a promising detective by the name of David Law began an investigation. Our information on what happened afterwards is shady, due to the abruptness of the outbreak, but we know that David Law and a team of agents invaded the main laboratory, a large gun battle erupted and somehow the virus was released. Within two weeks the entire city was infected and now Gaines has become a hot spot.

Unbeknownst to Isis, Blair has other plans regarding the future of the B. O. W. project. Operation Sliver involves the retrieving of all Isis B. O. W. research in Gaines, including data, embryos, and living specimens. Target points include:

Blair, Isis main laboratory = Hidden under Industrial district

Testing center and B. O. W. containment= Warren High School

File storage= City Hall

File storage= City HallViral antidote research=Medical Center Hospital

Also included are several Isis Sales offices that contain records of money spent on the project.

If anyone other than the Gamma Force claims to be involved with the operation, shoot him or her on sight. The Nemesis has been deployed to handle survivors; your priorities are the mission and the mission alone. But if any survivors are seen, they are to be eliminated.

"Whoa" Jarred said.

The paper answered a lot of questions, but also raised many more.

"Hey guys, check this out" Jarred walked over to Vanessa and Nathan, showing them the document he found.

The group pondered over the document.

"My father was onto them, that's what Piers was babbling about" Nathan said.

"So this whole area, is a testing area for Bio weapons" Vanessa said.

Jarred folded the paper and pocketed it. Jarred, Vanessa, and Nathan knew a lot more about what was going on, the information was so distracting, that they almost didn't hear the sounds of something coming up the ruined hall...


	15. Bring Forth The Gravedigger

Dr.William Birkin

David walked towards the only door in the tunnel, knowing it had to be where that madman Piers was. "That antigen...had damned well better be in there...". David walked to the door and noticed luckily it wasn't keycard locked, Aiming the saa at the lock, he fired twice, blasting it off. He pushed the door open and stepped into the dimly lit lab. A lone figure stood by the opposite door of the room, glaring intently into the security monitors. "Okay Piers, I'll be very very quick about this...I know you have an antigen..and I want it." Piers turned, and looked surprised "Who the hell are you? No...wait..don't tell me..it doesn't matter..hm..antigen, yes I believe I can help you out with that" Piers said, turning slowly to the table. "Finally...some luck..." thought David, but his luck was soon to run out. Piers turned quickly pulling a Beretta m9 from the desk, he fired twice, one shot hitting him in the left shoulder, the other narrowly missing his head. David fell to the floor, the pain from the gunshot wound knocking him back into the wall. "That was your final mistake..you thought you could save the infected? There's no chance..the virus will claim her as it claimed the others" laughed Piers, turning back to watch the experiment. David reached for his revolver, but could barely move, the last conscious thought in his mind before he fell unconscious was how he had failed, and now it was likely all going to end very soon.

Winsor, Ryan, Alex, and John began to slowly walk down the tunnel, when the sound of 2 gunshots reverberated through the hallway, followed by a sharp cry of pain. "Now what," muttered John.

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan lifted his rifle and aimed towards the sound, Jarred stepping in front of Vanessa they took aim and waited. When the first creature came around the corner Vanessa thought she was seeing things. It looked like an insect but larger. All black and shiny with multiple limbs. Nathan pulled back on the trigger and opened fire. The rounds tearing into the flesh of the beast. Jarred heard another coming from another hallway. He turned and saw it a moment before he too opened fire blasting the creature back.

"Quick! Get up the stairs!!" yelled Nathan over the gunfire.

"Go! I'll cover you guys!"

"I'm not letting you have all the fun!" Jarred yelled back.

"GO! NOW!! Get Vanessa up those stairs man,....There's too many to fight like this....we'll run dry of ammo before we kill them all!!" screamed Nath as another wave came forward.

Nathan and Jarred were mowing them down as they came but there were too many of them. Jarred grabbed Vanessa's arm and started leading her towards the stairs as he returned fire.

"Come on Nath!" he yelled.

"Go! I'll be right behind you!" Nath responded.

He flicked on the flame and opened up a gout of fire across the room lighting the creature up in a funnel of flame. The creature howled in pain as Nathan stepped backwards to the stairs letting loose another hail of bullets when he suddenly went dry!

"Shit!" said Nathan to himself as he started reloading.

"Come on Nath!! Their coming!!" screamed Vanessa as she watched the creatures continue rushing Nath.

Nathan turned and ran up the stairs but was cut off when a creature fell from the roof and landed between him and the others. Nathan fell backwards narrowly avoiding a brutal swipe from the creature's claws as it tore after him. Nathan slid down the steps on his back lifting the rifle trying to get a clear shot. The creature lunged but was propelled over him as a blast sounded from above. Looking up he saw Jarred firing at the creature pushing it over Nathan and below into the others.

"GET UP Nathan!" screamed Jarred as he continued firing.

Vanessa rushed past Jarred screaming back to him,.."Hold them off! I'll help Nathan!"

"What!?! No come back Vanessa!!" Jarred yelled but she was already moving down.

She reached down and grabbed Nathan's extended hand and helped pull him to his feet. Turning they both ran as they could feel the creatures bearing down on them. Jarred's weapon clicked empty and he spun around as Nathan and Vanessa reached him. Together they ran for the nearest door and Jarred slammed his shoulder into it as he turned the knob. The door flung open as he fell inside. Vanessa right behind and Nathan after her. Nathan turned and fired another gout of flame engulfing the creatures as he kicked the door closed with his foot. Releasing his weapon letting it hang from the shoulder strap, he drove the deadbolt home locking the door. Panting he turned an slid down the door catching his breath.

"Remind me never to do that again ok?" he said to them.

Jarred shot him a friendly glare and responded, "Oh., don't you worry about that. The next time you try that I'll drag you away myself."

Laughing slightly they sat catching their breath and studying the room they had entered.

"Seems like a Visual/Audio room." Vanessa said noticing the electrical equipment inside.

"Well we should take a look around and see what more we can find out." said Nathan as he lit a smoke and inhaled deeply.

"Ok I'll check the shelves." Vanessa suggested.

"I got the desk." replied Jarred.

"I'll see if those slid machines have anything useful about our friends outside. " said Nathan.

Vanessa noticed for the first time the blood covering Nathan's shoulder.

"Your bleeding Nath!" she said slightly frightened.

"What?! Oh this?" he answered as he tenderly probed the bullet wound he received earlier.

"First we should get that cleaned up and bandaged better." said Jarred as he found an old lab coat and ripped it into little strips. He knelt and inspected the wound.

Nathan stood as Jarred finished closing the wound and stopping the bleeding as Vanessa checked the shelves. Jarred stood and walked to the desk searching it thoroughly. Nathan walked to the slide and began inspecting them. His mind was on his father again.

(_What did you find out here dad?_) he thought as he pawed through the slides.

Shadow

*Ryan, Winsor, Alex and John stood looking back in the tunnel in the direction the shots came from*

Alex: David!...We have to go back for him...!

Winsor: Why? He's probably already dead anyway.

Ignoring Winsor's comment Ryan and Alex started off the way they had come. Before Ryan could get very far John grabbed his arm.

John: If we backtrack now, we might not make to the hospital before...you know.

Ryan: Yeah, but we can't just leave him...plus look at Alex, do you really think she'd leave without him anyway?

John: Yeah I know, but didn't he...scare you just before? Don't get me wrong, I want to go back for him as much as you do. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Winsor does have a point...sorta. And if we go back, there'll be less of a chance to find an antidote for Alex.

John and Ryan looked back at Alex, who was already further down the tunnel.

Ryan: Look, it wont take long, besides I don't think Alex would come with us if we tied her up and dragged her.

Ryan turned around and caught up t Alex while Winsor and John stood behind.

Winsor: Couldn't we just pretend we didn't hear it and keep going?

Ryan: Are you coming or not John?

Looking up John said, "Couldn't you just have killed me?"

John: *sigh* C'mon Winsor...

Winsor gave john a dirty look and followed the group, staying behind from them, as usual. Further down the tunnel the group heard a small "shatter" sound and some creepy laughing. "That didn't sound like David.", said Ryan. The group started moving faster, going from a slow jog to a run. They saw a door off in the distance, but before they could reach it a large earthquake like rumble was heard coming from a not-so-distant place. The team stopped and looked at each other, except for Winsor who stared at the wall.

Alex: You guys feel that, right?

Winsor: *sarcastically* What the tunnel rumbling? Nope, I don't feel a thing.

The rumbling got worse, as small pieces of the ceiling started plopping down. John looked down at his shotgun.

John: ((_2 rounds left...that won't do much against whatever causing this..._))

Ryan: Gravedigger...

Remembering what David had said, the groups eyes widened and they all moved closer together, even Winsor gave a quick glance to the group.

The rumbling gradually went away, until it fell silent again. Relieved the group proceeded to the door. Ryan quickly swung around into the doorway, assault riffle ready to blast anything undead. "All clear" said Ryan. The rest of the group walked in, all noticing the large puddle of blood in front of them. John noticed a gun was lying on the floor beside the blood. He looked around and picked it up, clipping his shotgun to his side. They all followed the blood trail, leading to a wall of monitors. On the ground lay broken vile with green liquid spilled around it. John examined the glass and made out "V--us -nti-g-n"

John: ...So that's why he went back..

Winsor: Wonder what happened...not that I care or anything...

They continued to follow the blood trail until they came to a door. A cardkey reader was to the right of the door. Ryan connected the two cards and slid it down the reader. The door opened, and an alarm sounded off for about 5 seconds.

Alex: What was that about?

They all casually entered the door. The door slammed shut behind them...

Claire Redfield

The door closed shut behind them, making a sound that echoed through the tunnels.

John turned his head back to the door and went for the knob and pulled with both hands.

"Shit! It's locked," he said. He looked back at them.

Alex shook her head in denial. "It can't be. You're just not pulling hard enough." She walked to the door and pulled the knob. The door refused to open.

Ryan and Winsor looked forward. It was another tunnel, except this one had bare light bulbs hanging from the ceiling; each about six feet away from each other. The light shone weakly from each bulb.

"David went through here...maybe," Ryan whispered.

"Yeah and maybe he's dead too," Winsor muttered. "We shouldn't have followed him. No, wait. I take that back. We shouldn't have followed you."

Ryan glared at her and started to walk down the tunnel. Alex and John looked up and seen Ryan. Alex ran past Winsor and walked behind Ryan. John walked up to Winsor. Winsor stood there, just staring as Ryan and Alex started to walk farther away.

"Come on. Once again Ryan is the leader," John said and rolled his eyes.

Winsor continued to frown. "I may not be a leader, but I'm not a follower either." She ran past John and caught up with the others.

John ran next to her. "I thought you weren't a follower."

"I'm not. I'm just there; to point and ridicule a person's attempt to save others," she said.

John shook his head and Winsor ignored the fact that these people were trying to get out of here alive as well. She wasn't the kind of person who cared about sports, activities, or anything that included her helping someone or anything. No one had ever helped her with anything, without wanting something in return. She hated to be in debt to another person for something stupid, even if it was her life that was saved.

The tunnel started to shake, as if an earthquake was starting. Dust and dirt fell from cracks from the walls and ceiling. They covered their heads instinctively for falling pieces of rock.

The tremors stopped.

"Gravedigger, right," Alex said. She scratched at her arm and Winsor saw that it was irritated and that pieces of skin was coming off. It looked painful, but it wasn't bleeding.

Winsor went in her back pack and started to dig, looking for something soft and big.

"David said that they were big and that they were like worms," Ryan said.

While Alex scratched her arm, Winsor found a black bandanna in her book bag.

"So they might be in the tunnels," John said, "but it could also be something else."

Winsor walked to Alex, who was still scratching her arm. "Stop scratching it." She took the bandana and wrapped it around her arm. "Ignore the urge to scratch. If you have to, put your finger on the spot that itches and stab your fingernail into the spot. It should temporarily stop the itch."

"I...thanks...I guess," Alex said.

"Why are they here though? How did they grow?" John asked.

Another tremor came and the sickening sound of stone breaking. The sound coming from behind them. A crack formed on the wall, slowly increasing in size. Something on the other side was hitting the wall.

"Oh-," Alex said and as interrupted when something broke through the wall. Time seemed to crawl went the gravedigger revealed itself. Its pale body bulged from its enormous size. It turned its head at them. Three mandibles opened revealing a swollen red mouth filled with small sharp teeth. It shrieked and Winsor knew that they wouldn't be able to kill it.

"Shit!" John yelled.

Without looking back at the creature, Winsor ran past them, leaving them alone with the new threat.

Jill Valentine

The concealed room full of endless towers of shelved documents, contained information about the pharmaceutical company, "Isis".

"Look at this guys," Vanessa read out aloud."Since 1987, "Isis" has been the largest Pharmaceutical organization in the United States. It's most famous scientific invention, filed as the "I-virus" is known to treat all diseases that cause any threat to the Human immune system. However, this has resulted in a significant range of side affects that include....."

Vanessa paused.

"That's it...someone has deleted the rest of this document."

Jarred and Nathan stood astonished at what they had just heard.

"Do you think the side affects...well...the result of taking the "I-virus" is zombies?"

Jarred asked, anxiously stumbling over the truth of his words.

"Yes," Nathan responded, his eyes facing down, looking as though he knew much more than they thought. "It's true. The I-virus is what has started the creation of zombies. My dad used to work for Isis...He told me everything..."

Jarred backed away from Nathan, a look of betrayal set of his long, sturdy face.

"What?! You knew this whole time and you didn't tell any of us?!" Jarred demanded. "Why didn't you tell us? We have wasted our time looking for answers, when you were the answer! We could be out of this shit hole by now!"

Vanessa placed her hands on Jarred's shoulders.

"Jarred, calm down..." her soft voice pleaded, as she felt tension fill his shoulders. Jarred breathed in deeply, watching Nathan's face grow pale from fear.

"I wanted to tell you guys," he suddenly announced. "But I didn't want to scare you off with my theories...I thought you wouldn't believe me...I thought..."

He grew silence, pulling himself up from his sitting position; an injured limp defining his strong, masculine stride.

"It's alright," Vanessa said, with sincerity evident in her response. "I understand what you are trying to say...let's just get out of here, okay?"

Jarred nodded, distantly turning away from the two, as though he didn't want to believe any of the things he heard; as though his reality was torn apart.

"Jarred?" Nathan asked. "I'm sorry..."

Jarred silently acknowledged his apology, as he slowly exited the room through the opposite door.

With Vanessa and Nathan following behind him, they noticed that they had ended up in a long dark hallway. There was a silent trickle of water heard echoing on the other side of the wall, and they all knew the sewerage was on the other side.

Walking along the dark hall, Jarred discovered a small opening that was barred by strong metal slabs. He peered through the opening, seeing the sewerage tunnel run through the other side. The barred opening was rather small, but he was sure that they could all fit through perfectly.

"Guys," he announced, as he signaled for the two to come over to where he sat."We can remove this metal bar, and hopefully make it through to the other side. What do you think?"

Vanessa's face beamed with excitement.

"Good idea." Nathan and Vanessa said, simultaneously.

As Vanessa stood back, Nathan and Jarred gathered all their strength, easily pulling of the metal slab that barricaded the hall from the sewerage.

"Yes!" Nathan cried at his and Jarred brilliant accomplishment. "Lets get out of here!"

Nathan narrowly pushed his head through the opening, realizing that it was going to be a tight squeeze; and the opening was too small for his muscular frame.

"Damn this fucker!" he cursed pulling his head out of the opening, dusting himself off as he stood up. "I can't fit through it!"

Jarred twitched nervously.

"Here let me try..."

He kneeled down, attempting to fit through the opening; without success.

"Man..."Nathan asked, furious that their only attempt to exit, failed."Vanessa can you try to go through it?"

Vanessa nodded, thinking to herself that it was obvious that she also couldn't fit.

"Okay.."

Positioning herself before the small gap in the wall, she easily slid through landing on sewerage water on the other side.

"Good," she heard Jarred and Nathan exclaim in excitement as she successfully slid through the opening.

"Vanessa, we are going to have to find another way out," Jarred said.

Vanessa had a furious look set upon her face.

"No..." she cried sliding her hand through the gap."Don't leave me!"

The warmth of Jarred's hand on Vanessa pale, cold arms, was reassuring.

"I promise you, we will meet you in about five minutes. We will try to make this gap bigger and fit through, ok?"

Vanessa felt like a small girl in a big, unknown world, as she stood helplessly, and scared in the darkness of the tunnel.

"Okay..."she replied."That's a promise."

"Here," Nathan suddenly said. "Take this 9mm for protection. And this clip too. You should be safe from any zombies or mutations. And if you encounter anything too big for your liking, run, got it?"

"Yes." she replied, accepting the weapon.

Hearing their footsteps leave the hallway, Vanessa's eyes examined the tunnel, as their unfamiliar gaze darted from the left to right sides of the tunnel. Gripping the 9mm close to her, she nervously began to set off down the tunnel; alone...


	16. Escape From Confinement

Dr.William Birkin

David's vision began to fade back into existence...the darkness that had enshrouded his mind for what seemed like years slowly began to fade. He began to sit up, a sharp pain in his arm began to jolt consciousness back into his mind. "The nightmare just keeps on going doesn't it..." said David to himself as he sat up. Looking around he realized where he was, he was locked in a small cell, the room the cell was in was lit by a single bulb, which was swaying back and forth. Immediately jumping to his feet, David reached for his revolver...he felt nothing. "GOD DAMNIT...Piers..you sick little motherfucker..". David sat down on the small bed in the cell looking out onto the room. On a desk was his colt single action army and the box of bullets he had found for it. "Well..looks like I'm just going to wait here until someone or something comes to kill me...I guess I really will die a failure.

Then something caught his attention. Voices..distinct voices coming from outside the room. Recognizing them as those of the others David stood up again, however his hope was soon to die. For another sound then reverberated into his cell.

A dull thudding..the sound of a creature whose home was the eternal darkness of the underground...it was back, the nightmare worm had come back, as if there to taunt David. The tremor increased, and the sound of shattering masonry was heard outside. "Damn damn damn....now I'm gonna be buried in here." thought David.

But, the very nightmare he feared would cut his life short was about to save him. A massive tremor surged into the room, knocking the antiquated and ill serviced door from its rusting hinges. Pushing it aside, David walked out of the cell. Grabbing his revolver and ammunition, he shook off the pain his left shoulder was throbbing with..and walked through the only door of the room into the shaking nightmare world of the tunnels. Smiling as if he had just won the lottery, David thumbed the hammer on the revolver back, the cylinder clicking into place, another round loading. Another chance at ending the horror.

Joker

The "Gravedigger" made its slow, pondering way toward the group, gnashing its numerous rows of teeth at whoever was foolish enough to get in its way.

John watched Winsor run in the other direction. While she was obviously only interested in saving her own life, it was a good idea.

"Come on!" John called to Alex and Ryan. "We have to go! Now!"

Alex made her way to John's side but Ryan remained steadfast, almost as if he was mesmerized by the movements of the gravedigger.

"Ryan! Come on! We don't have time for a Mexican Standoff!" John shouted, more urgently this time.

Ryan didn't move. He was mentally staring holes into the gravedigger in abject rage. He was going to make those holes a reality.

It had been a little while ago that Paul was ripped apart by that frog-creature. "Hunters", they were called. "Butchers, more like..." , Ryan thought. But as much as his off-beat sense of humor worked, his personal demons had finally possessed him. The death toll he had personally witnessed rose by one. Paul. Now, he had "lost it". Ryan was already too close to this edge. Only now was he shoved right over it.

"If it doesn't die right now, it'll keep coming...", Ryan said quietly.

Ryan realized he had not reloaded from the last hostile encounter through all his fury. When one is intent on killing everything that represented what they had seen slaughter all within a 100 meter radius, they tend to focus on how much harm they can inflict on that representation.

Grabbing his last clip of ammo, Ryan pressed it fully home and slapped the bolt closed.

"Ryan! For Christ's sake, not now!" he heard Alex call, but her plea fell on deaf ears. "If anyone else dies next", Ryan found himself thinking, "it'll be me...".

As John and Alex debated what to do, the silence suddenly erupted into a cacophonous repetition of steady, fully-automatic gunfire. Ryan had finally snapped.

The creature screeched and growled and bawled, but Ryan kept firing. He wouldn't stop until one of them was dead.

Ryan kept firing, the images of those people who died in front of him, those he could have helped in some way instead of standing there... freezing... letting it happen, flashed throughout his mind as he continued to unload the 9mm parabellum from the MP5K.

As it clicked empty, the gravedigger made its play. Surging forth, it put one very large tooth through Ryan's leg.

Screaming in pain, Ryan tried desperately to free himself. The tooth had not gone through too far, but it was enough to cause damage.

Looking around through agony-impaired eyes, Ryan noticed the pipes around the gravedigger. Taking a chance, he drew the Beretta from its side holster and started firing wildly at the pipes in a desperate bid to repel the gravedigger.

As the hot lead seared through the cold steel of the pipes, lethally hot steam sprayed all over the gravedigger, making it recoil in pain. At the same time, the steam also sprayed on Ryan's wound, causing him to let forth an agonized yelp of pain before he moved out of the jet of steam.

As much as it was painful, Ryan was almost glad for the steam. "At least it sterilized the wound...", he thought, trying to make the best of a hopeless situation.

A situation which involved Ryan, wounded and barely armed, waiting for the shadows which had pursued him all along to finally close for the kill...

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan looked around slowly and then back to Jarred.

"Ok here's the plan. I can get you into that hole man but you'll need to trust me."

"Ok how?" asked Jarred.

"Climb in feet first. Slide down as far as you can and keep one arm up and one down ok?"

Jarred climbed in and stretched his arm up towards Nathan. As he expected he got stuck.

"Ok McGyver. Now what?" Jarred said frustrated that he was stuck.

Nathan grabbed Jarred's arm and looking into Jarred's eyes with a smile, he spoke...."You need to stay with her man. I need to finish with what my father started. I have to stop Piers! Save her and yourself. Try to find the other Jarred. Your a good man. Live to tell your kids about this."

"What are you talking about!?!" asked Jarred suddenly worried about what Nathan was doing.

With a slight smile and watery eyes Nathan's face transformed to a look of sheer concentration as he lifted Jarred's arm he snapped it back down hard. Jarred felt the dislocation rip through his shoulder as he suddenly slide down. Landing on the other side he screamed in pain as the shock passed. Vanessa was only a few meters away when she heard the scream and came back seeing Jarred on her side of the whole.

"Jarred what?...How did you get through?"

"Goddammit Nathan!!" he screamed.

"That fool is going to take on Piers himself and get killed!"

Standing Jarred walked to the wall and slammed his shoulder into it feeling the bone slip back into place.

Nathan turned and started running for the secret exit his father had told him about. He knew that if they came with him they would get killed and that the only way to stop that was to get away from them. He knew a lot about Isis and Blair but he didn't know everything. He father had tried to stop these killers and had failed. Now it was up to him. Nathan loaded his rifle and stared at the small hidden panel on the wall and pushed on it slowly. It swung open and revealed a ten key pad. Without hesitation he punched in the code...2-0-2-5-7-8...with a small 'ping' the panel flashed and the wall slid upward. Nathan stepped in and walked down the hallway leading to the weapons cache that his father had told him about. It was time to load up for the final battle with Piers.

Nessa and Jarred started walking along the sewage tunnel looking for another way around when they felt the ground tremble.

"What now." said Jarred with frustration.

"I don't want to be around to find out." said Vanessa as she picked up the pace and started jogging down the tunnel with Jarred right behind her.

Turning the corner they came face to face with the ass end of a giant worm.

"What the hell.." was all Jarred could manage before the tail disappeared into the hole it had created.

Nathan reached the weapons cache and punched in the code for the door. Seems like they never changed the codes, he thought. Stepping inside he started arming himself. Grabbing a pair of 9mm's he grabbed 2 shoulder holsters and strapped them on and loaded the 9's. Grabbing an over the shoulder shotgun holster he slid it on and picked up a Benelli and loaded it, then slid it into place. Tucking the 9's away in their holsters he loaded his pockets with some extra round for the shotgun and tucked away 6 clips for the 9's. Grabbing a new mag. for the rifle he ejected the old one and slapped in the new. Pocketing 2 more he noticed the fuel cylinders. Picking it up he switched it with the old one and tossed the rifle over his shoulder. Nathan looked around and smiled. He was loaded up and felt ready for Piers. Lighting a smoke he took a drag and exhaled slowly. Stepping outside he turned for the corridor that would lead to where his father would be released and prepared to once again....end his father's pain.

"This time Piers.....there won't be anything left for you to resurrect!" with that said he punched in another code and opened the door. The room was huge, by far larger then the other. With a deep breath he started out. His eyes and senses at their best as he started looking for his father.....and then he go looking for Piers!


	17. Mounting Tensions

Dr.William Birkin

David quickly turned the corner aiming down the now quiet tunnel. The only thing the single remaining light bulb illuminated was a plume of steam and a lone, limping figure. Bringing his revolver up and sighting it on the figure, David yelled down the tunnel. "STOP RIGHT THERE....WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Ryan, who had expected the next sound he heard to be the gravediggers battle cry, sharply turned to face the shadow obscured figure at the end of the tunnel. "DAVE!? WHAT THE HELL..I THOUGHT YOU WERE.." "Dead?" David cut him off in mid sentence "Unfortunately,...not yet...Anyway, where are the others?". Ryan nodded down the black tunnel, "They ran off when that overgrown maggot came along...". David laughed slightly, "Somehow I'm not surprised...well..we should get the hell out of here, that thing is FAR from dead and it WILL come back here..." David said as he began walking down the tunnel. "Man..you have no idea how glad Alex will be once she sees you.." said Ryan, prompting David to quickly turn. "How is she anyway? the infection is progressing still??". Sadly, Ryan nodded. "Well.." said David "The antigen isn't down here..the only thing down here is death....the hospital may have what we need...somehow I just...er...have a feeling..." David said, obviously knowing more than he would say...

Shadow

*Ryan and David stood in the dimly lit tunnel*

"The others should've been here by now.", said Ryan holding his wound.

David: That's a pretty nasty wound...

Ryan: ...I

With that John and Alex, followed by Winsor appeared further down the tunnel.

Alex: Ryan...! And...David...!?

John: Ryan, you're alive!

Alex ran up to David, obviously happy to see him.

Alex: I'm glad your alright, David. You too, Ryan!

David found himself staring at Alex...she looked even more horrid than before. She looked like a ghost, and her lips were beginning to turn purple. He had failed her...in fact by going back, he had probably insured her death. She would probably become one of those monsters within a couple hours or so. They had to move.

Alex:...David?

David: Uh...yeah, I'm glad to see your safe Alex. We have to get to the hospital quick, Ryan's hurt bad and we'll find that antidote for Alex there...uh...probably.

"So where were you guys?" asked Ryan still holding his wound, specifically looking at John.

John: I had something I needed to check, said john, pointing off into space.

All: .....

John: Right, now to find our way out of this tunnel...

David: ((_Idiot_)) There's nothing down this way, we'll have to back the way you guys cam-

David was cut off by Winsor...

Winsor: What he meant to say was he ran off, leaving you to die...just the same as his "friends".

They all turned to Winsor.

John: "What?!...I cant believe you just said that!" said John, obviously upset.

Winsor: Believe it. Someone had to let you in on the truth. Take that little incident with Heather for example...did you really try to save her?

John: Of course!!!

Winsor: So I guess firing a few blasts and running away is trying?

John: Shut up! How would you know!?

Winsor: You didn't answer the question.

John shut his eyes...he saw everybody...

((_Brian...died...I ran away...Heather...I ran away...everybody else...I ditched them, knowing there wasn't enough ammo for everybody anyway...and now Ryan...why do I keep running...why? Winsor's...right? NO...but...did I really care if my friends made out? Do I really care if anybody makes it out? No that's not true...is it?_))

Winsor: That's what I thought...

Winsor turned...putting her back to John.

John: No...NO!...that's enough from you!

Winosr: Ooo good one...

John: Alright enough of this horse crap, you don't know anything, how would you know anything I-

Winsor: I know enough about "your kind"

John: "My kind"? What the hell is that supposed to mean?! You seem to have everything against everyone, and I cant understand why.

Winsor: You wouldn't understand, you don't know me so, just keep your mouth shut, you and your little "happy" life" with all your friends...well not anymore...

That was it...that last comment had been the last straw. John drew his gun and aimed it straight at Winsor.

John: Happy life? Seems you don't know much about me either. Huh, my life hasn't been as great as you think, I just don't dwell on it and alienate myself from everybody else in the world, like you. I'm feel sorry for you...

Winsor: You feel sorry for me? Pfftt...go on then...shoot me.

John: Don't think I'll do it? To tell you the truth I really don't give a damn whether you make it out alive, all you ever do is mope around, making your smartass comments. If I was in Nath's situation earlier...I would've just-

Winsor: Ran?

John: No...I would've stayed...and watched it kill you...

Alex: Would you two shut up already!

Winsor: Then here's your chance shoot me.

John: Sure.

John started to pull the trigger, but before he could shoot David kicked the gun out of his hand, causing it to go off, barely missing Winsor.

David: What the hell's the matter with you? We don't have time for this crap!

Ryan: .....

They all stood silent for a few moments, until David said..

David: As I was saying...there's nothing down the way I came from...we'll have to go back the way you guys came from.

Alex: But the door is locked that way, its a dead end!

David: Then we'll have to find another way.

Alex: There is no other way...we're trapped in here...!

They all stood in silence once again trying to think of a way out. "There is one other way", said Ryan.

Alex: What?

Ryan: When the "gravedigger" ran away it burrowed into the floor, making a tunnel.

Alex: Yeah, and? Your not suggesting we go down it?

David: There's no other way, he have to head back.

Ryan: The only question is...where will it lead us?

They all walked back slowly, not leaving Ryan behind. John had his eyes set on Winsor the whole time...was he really going to shoot her?...yeah...

They all arrived at the hole...they stood there staring down. All they could see was complete darkness.

David: I'll go down. I'll let you guys know, where I end up, once I reach the bottom.

Alex once again tried to persuade David not go, but to no avail. David got ready to jump down...not knowing what to expect. But before he could jump john pushed him back and said, "I'll go."

David: What? No wa-

John: I said I'm going.

David: Fine, whatever, if your that eager to die.

John jumped down. He fell vertically for about 10 seconds in darkness, until he saw a dim light shine from the bottom.

John: Ok...um...Ahhhhhhhh!

He neared the bottom, thankfully there was a slight curve at the end of the tunnel, which sent him hurling into...a wall. "John!?" was the last thing he heard before he blacked out.


	18. Death To The Father For The Second Time

Dr.William Birkin

David looked down into the hole. "You know...this may sound insane but I think he was right..this may very well lead out of here...." David said as he tried to approximate the distance down to the bottom. "Why don't we drop her into it and find out, maybe if were lucky she'll die." David said humorously, pointing at Winsor with his revolver. "OK..look, I don't know who you-" She was cut off in mid sentence by David's laughter, "Oh shut up you juvenile little goth, you know..I SERIOUSLY regret not having let him put a bullet between your eyes." yelled David. But before the argument could proceed further, the tunnel shook again. "The digger apparently is consolidating its strength....now you're sure that other door is locked? And there's no way to open it?" said David looking at Alex. "Yes...yes..it is...and no..there isn't." she sighed.

"Well then...looks like we have 2 options....we die here..or we die down there...." muttered David, glaring into the blackness of the pit..

Jill Valentine

The last reverberations of Nathan's heavy footsteps could be heard exiting the hall. Jarred and Vanessa stood silently, unsure of where they were to journey to next.

"It's just you and me then I suppose,"Jarred said, turning his head towards either directions of the long guided hall."I suppose we better go catch up with the others..."

Vanessa nodded slowly, as she began to follow Jarred's suggested direction down the sewerage tunnel.

"Where do you think they went?" she asked, plodding on through the thick, contaminated sewerage water.

"I don't know," Jarred replied, hesitating before his response."To the city perhaps?"

Before Vanessa could respond, there was a vigorous array of vibrations that heavily shook the stable cement walls; followed by several cries for help.

"Shit!"

The two, suddenly realizing that another one of the "Isis" mutations had gotten to the others, wasted no time to rescue them from their attack.

Suddenly, a large, bulky, white figure emerged from the wall, tearing apart several layers of the cement that had once solidified the stable tunnel walls. The entire tunnel abruptly trembled, releasing a large amount of toxic, cloudy fumes from it's harsh destruction.

"Holy shit!" Jarred cried in fear as he darted down the opposite direction from which the mutation appeared.

"Jarred! Wait!" Vanessa cried, continuing to follow after him.

A heavy sigh ascended from the monster's worm like figure, as it positioned itself up in a glorious stature of power, piercing the eerie silence that had settled in the tunnel with it's defining, high pitched shriek.

Stumbling over the creature's threatening, screech, Vanessa pushed herself up sprinting after Jarred, attempting to escape the monster.

Another hideous shriek escaped it's mutilated body, as it began trailing on after her, not far behind.

"That's it you fucker, I am sick of this shit!" Vanessa yelled, as she turned to face the monster. Aiming her 9mm at it's hideous face, she emptied an entire clip into it, deeply injuring the creature as it fell to the ground in pain.

"Fuck you!" she screamed rapidly jumping onto the creature's sleek, bulky back. "Fucking die already you piece of shit!"

Jarred slowly approached Vanessa with caution.

"Vanessa?!" he demanded, as a puzzled expression filled his long sturdy face. "It's dead...It's dead now...come one let's go."

Vanessa paused, looking down at the blood that oozed from the creature's wounds. She stared on at the greenish tinted liquid that drenched her rose burnt skin.

"I'm sorry...I...I just lost control, you know?"

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan walked slowly listening for anything that would give him and edge. He knew that the experiment on his father was surly a more advanced Bio-weapon but still if he could get an edge he might just pull it off. The room was full of lush vegetation and rocks...open fields and small caves. This was the most elaborate testing facility that Isis and Blair had ever created. Billions upon billions of tax payers money had gone into their own destruction.

*thump.......Raaaaaagggghhhhhh!!.......thump....thump*

It was time.

Nathan ducked around a boulder and flicked on the flame thrower. Waiting he quietly said a prayer.

"Forgive me father for what I am about to do and deliver his soul to salvation swiftly." then he whispered a prayer his father had taught him,..."As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall never give up and never surrender....Dance with me Death...I am ready!"

Nathan sprang up pulling the trigger torching everything in front of him! The creature stepped back in pain and howled.

*AAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!*

Nathan saw his opening and sprang forward flicking the switch and letting loose a hail of bullets into the creature driving it backwards. Nathan heard the powerful scream as the creature swatted at him sending him sprawling to the ground. The creature picked him up and tossed Nathan again. His shoulder feeling the sudden pain rush into it as he smacked into a tree. Feeling dazed Nathan struggled to keep his wits about him. His vision was blurred and everything moved very sluggish. Looking around he noticed his rifle was gone. Reaching over his shoulder he grabbed the Benelli and started firing. Round after blasting round found it's mark hammering the creature down. It screamed again and rushed forward smacking the weapon from Nathan's grip and pinning him to the ground with a foot to his chest. Nathan struggled for a breath as the creature leaned it's weight onto him. Feeling himself about to black out Nathan tried the only thing he could........

"Dad.....Dad stop!.....You're hurting me!.....Mom never hurt me dad why are you?...Please fight it..." he cried.

The creature lifted it's foot giving Nathan the chance to breath. Suddenly the foot came crashing back down. Nathan rolled nearly being crushed by the massive foot. It grabbed him and lifted him high. Nathan looked at the creature with tears in his eyes......

"I'm sorry father.......forgive me." whispered Nathan as he pulled out the 9mm's.

One aimed at each eye Nathan began firing. His own scream lost in the sounds of each round tearing into his father. The creature stumbled backwards still holding Nath. It's face being obliterated by the powerful rounds ripping into it. Nathan fell suddenly as the creature released him. Landing in a crouch he scrambled around the creature and started firing once more. Out of the corner of his eye Nathan saw the Benelli. Diving he slid the 9mm's home and grabbed the shotgun as he hit the ground, rolling to his feet and firing into the creature again. Each blast deafening to his ears but even more to his soul. His father's soul would be at peace now. Slowly the creature fell to it's knees, then to it's face as it breathed it's last breath. Nathan stood there staring at the hideous thing that had once been David Law. Reaching down he grabbed the assault rifle and reloaded it before slinging it over his arm. Reloading the Benelli he slid it home over his shoulder. He reloaded the 9's and started walking for the door out.

"Your mine Piers!!!!! You hear me?!?! Your MINE!!!" he screamed as he ran from the room and down the hall.

"That goddammed child is causing more problems then he's worth!" yelled Piers.

"What do you want done with him?" asked the soldier before him.

"Take your squad and eliminate Nathan Law once and for all! Take this vial! Fill it with his blood when your done with him. It is his blood I need not his body." Piers replied.

"Sir? His blood? Why?"

"Because it's the anti-viral you fu*king grunt!! Now go before I test something on you!" screamed Piers.

"YES SIR!" said the soldier as he saluted and rushed out gathering his men as he went.

"Moron!" hissed Piers as he watched the soldier leave.

Turning to his viewing room he grabbed the files and started reading.

Name: Jarred Orr

Age: 16

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Long, dark brown

Background: Jarred isn't exactly a popular student at Warren High School. The other students think he is insane and homicidal. He wants no part in the social activities that his peers participate in. Due to his sheltered life, he lacks social skills and isn't good at communicating with others.

Name: Samantha Winsor

Age: 17

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Brown with red and black tints

Background: An outcast of the school. She is usually quiet. She only speaks to make a diss or a smart-ass remark or unless someone asks her a question. Usually called a Goth or by her last name, she is ridiculed by other students by the way she looks and by the way she only wears different shades of black. She can usually be found in the library of the school, either reading or hacking on a comp. She doesn't like the "in crowd" and keeps isolating herself thinking that the "in crowd" is like a contagious disease, one that she doesn't want to become infected with(or join). She is a lover of science fiction and horror movies, and by doing so she rarely becomes surprised or afraid of life.

Name: John Russo

Age: 16

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Blonde

Height: 5"8

Background: John just moved to Gaines, Colorado because of family problems about 2 months ago. John is the model skateboarder, often seen wearing his World Industries hoodie. He isn't afraid to try something new and wont hesitate to help a friend in need. He doesn't open up to well to new people and does sometimes show a different side of himself in rough times. He has two weaknesses, talking about his past and girls.

Name: Vanessa Jade-Rose Williams

age:16

Eyes: green with blue specs

hair: Long auburn hair

Background: She is the only child in her family, but her parents are divorced. She had a good childhood, and is a cheerful, considerate person. She can be an absolute bitch to those who piss her off, and she is considered to be quite weird.

Name: Ryan Bartlett

Age: 17

Eyes: Hazel

Hair: Light-Med Brown

Background: Ryan is an above-average student despite the fact he rarely studies. He seems to be the sort of person that is accepted by all but befriended by few, one that everybody recognises, but few people know. He is reasonably agile, despite his solid frame, but he tends to hold academics in a higher regard than sports.

Ryan often feels that he is exploited by peers, being perhaps too helpful towards them. However, that doesn't stop him from helping those in "need". Ryan is also one that tends to see the lighter side of things, taking very few things seriously.

Name: Alexandra Temple

Age:15

Hair: Red, straight, just past shoulders

Eyes: Very, very light brown

Height:5'7

Weight:110

Background: A punk girl at Warren High, who seems to have nothing but trouble in her life. She can be very clumsy at times. She's been suspended about six times. She is all tomboy accept when it comes to boys. Not one of the more popular kids at the school. She's only been at the school for about three months. She has an older brother.

Name: David Sunderland

Age: 15

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Brown

Height: 5"8

Background: David has lived in Gaines all his life, he is intelligent, and doesn't associate much with those around him, he has always been distrustful of people, although he can make himself likeable enough when necessary. He often comes across as cold or distant. He is almost totally apathetic about death or dying, seeing as how his father is the county medical examiner and his mother a surgeon, death is just a reality to him. Though few in the school know much about him,.he seems to know people fairly well..maybe he's just observant, maybe he's somehow involved in all of this more than anyone realizes.

Name: Nathan Law

age: 18

Height: 5'9"

Weight: 155

Eyes: Green

Hair: Dark Brown with Frosted tips

History:

Nathan is the Captain of the Wrestling team, A very popular Student whose very social not just with the "cool kids" but with everyone in general. He recently moved here from Canada with his Father. Was dating the head cheerleader till he caught her cheating and just recently was voted student body president.

~~WARNING THE FOLLOWING IS TOP SECRET CLASSIFICATION ALPHA RED OMEGA CODE: 202520~~

Nathan Law....Test subject for anti-vial!

Successful....Status....."ACTIVE"

David Law.....Test subject for new Nemesis prototype.

Successful....Status....."DECEASED"

Infected.....Alexandra Temple......Status...."FINAL STAGES"

David Sunderland.........Operative for Blair.

Status....."SCHEDULED FOR TERMINATION"

Jarred Orr....Awaiting capture of subject.

Status......"SCHEDULED FOR OPERATION "TRIBUNAL" INJECTION OF ME3456....DATA TO BE RECOVERED LATER"

~~~Classified Level 9 Clearance Required~~~

Nathan Law

Training: CIA Top Specialist David Law trained Nathan Law his son. Fire arms. Locks. Martial Arts. Greco Roman Wrestling.

Photographic memory. Has been tested on by Blair Industries after outbreak. David Law stole Anti-viral and is believed to have injected it into Nathan Law. Recover Nathan Law at all costs!

David Magill (David Law) Employee for Blair and Isis. Scientist top level. ***Traitor*** Undercover CIA Operative. Capture and eliminate at once!

"Your friend Jarred will be next Nathan and then you will have to make a choice....either your life......or his!" laughed Piers as he sat to watch the viewing screens.

Nathan flicked on the tac light as he stepped into the tunnel created by creature in front of him. The large worm was dead. Nathan had a brief fight with it. Seemed it had already been wounded. Carefully entering the tunnel he walked a little ways before coming to a manhole above him. Reaching up he managed to move it. Nathan pulled himself up and out with little effort. Standing up he stared in awe as he realized he was outside. Looking around he noticed the hospital ahead.

( _They would take Alex there for sure._) he thought as he started towards it hoping his friends were already there......

Claire Redfield

"John?" Alex whispered.

Another small tremor started and Winsor snickered.

__

Gravedigger. Christ, if I run into it again, I'm leaving these pricks. For good.

The tremor stopped and Ryan started to limp forward toward the hole. "If we stay here we'll die. As long as we keep moving, we might find a way out of here."

Alex nodded. "John is down there. We can't leave him alone. What if he's hurt?"

"He's probably dead," Winsor said. She smiled sinisterly at the hole.

John was going to shoot her; not the first one to assault her with a weapon. Despite the fact that he might be already dead, she didn't want anyone dead. She wasn't used to being close to anyone, especially in their situation. She was afraid of making friends and then losing them Isolating herself from everyone seemed to be the only answer.

"Shut up! You can stay up here if you want, Winsor. We have to get out of here and so far all you care about is saving yourself!" Ryan snapped.

Ryan sat on the ground and started to move his legs so he could crawl down the hole. He winced in pain.

Alex did the same. She looked at him and tried to help him maintain balance. She looked up at David and Winsor. "Some help would be, I don't know, good right about now," she said and rolled her eyes.

__

She's getting worse. She's going to change and become like the zombies. Why can't she just accept her fate?

Winsor shut her eyes and turned her head the other way, refusing.

"Fine. If we're all going to die we might as well go out together," David sighed. He started to help Joker down the pit.

"Minus one," Ryan replied.

Winsor snapped open her eyes, shocked that he had said anything. She thought that he would ignore her.

She watched them crawl into the hole. Ryan didn't look up. Alex looked at her with pleading eyes, asking her for help. David only looked up when he was looking for something to hold on too.

__

They won't survive. I don't need them. They don't need me.

What about the spider? Or wrapping Alex's arm with the bandanna to help her stop scratching? Winsor actually felt that she was starting to have a conscience-

The ground shook again. She looked at them again. They were at the bottom already walking on flat ground. Their footsteps walking over broken stone, making small echoes from their feet. The ground rumbled again this time closer.

And Winsor grew pale, realizing something that she should have though of before.

__

The stone. It echoes. Sounds waves and vibrations sent through the ground and the worm is blind. Moving toward-

"Them," she said. Their vibrations was attracting the gravedigger. She had seen the movie Tremors. This was close enough to the real thing.

Winsor let her instinct take over. She jumped down, grazing her back against the wall of the hole, feeling the small tremors start to speed up. She landed on her feet, almost losing her balance.

The wall behind her was weak. If the gravedigger hit the wall, it would break through instantly and get them.

David looked behind his shoulder at her. "Look who joined-"

"Get down!" she yelled. She ran at them-

And the wall exploded behind them, a shrieking roar was the only reason she needed to run faster.

"SHIT, Alex hissed, her eyes paling. They started to run forward, suddenly stopping.

__

Run, you morons!!!

She didn't even bother stopping, instead she plowed right into them, making them fall.

And she felt nothing as she fell. No ground or a floor. They were falling down. The worm almost seeming to as little as a danger now than before.

They fell down another hole and it was her fault. They would find John alright and if he was dead they were probably going to join him.


	19. Mentally And Physically Low

Dr.William Birkin

David fell, rolling as he hit the bottom of the next incline, he turned immediately and aimed his revolver at the hole. "Come-on you son of a bitch...come-on....time to end this right here and right now..." muttered David. "This is it..we're gonna die here..aren't we.." said Alex in a shaky voice. "Probably..but you all just HAD to go back for your friend didn't you?" hissed Winsor. "Ok...you know..I hate to agree with her but she's right, this is getting way out of hand, has probably dead and now were in the catacombs that thing probably bored itself..it knows these tunnels probably. Now...lets just climb up and hope to god it went away okay?" said David.

At that moment the gravediggers shriek echoed through the tunnels.

"Shit! OKAY...plan b anyone???" said David, his weapon still held at the ready.

And as the group faced the bloated, butcher worm from a nightmare..a new horror was unfolding above.

A blackhawk helicopter swooped low over a street and steadied itself 8 figures in black tactical gear rappelled down from it, their headset radios blasting forth their orders. "Remember the objectives people, kill anyone or anything that gets in your way. Special care is to be taken to ensure that a blood sample of the first target, Nathan Law, is recovered, I've also received orders from security director Markinson, we are to find the rogue operative, Sunderland, and eliminate him..." "They'll never know what the hell hit them.." laughed one of the soldiers.

Infinity-X

"Tell me this isn't happening...."

Alex said looking up at the gravedigger, she changed her view and looked at David. She knew they had to do something, or they would go down in history as a bunch of kids that were eaten by a worm. Alex didn't want to think of how lame that was. She took out her handgun and shot the gravedigger, then pulled the lighter she had out of her pocket,

"This might not be a good idea,"

she said softly, then she yelled...

"RUN!"

and threw the lighter at the beast. Alex backed away as it shrieked in pain, but that wasn't enough to kill it, she ran over to where the others were standing. David started to talk...

"Nice move, you made it mad!"

he said fairly angry. Winsor started in on Alex now, Winsor hated Alex and it was easy to tell.

"Look what you did Alexandra! We could of just run, but no, you wanted to hurt it, and was expecting it to burn in hell, right?"

Winsor said, Alex over at her, she was paler than ever and Winsor just looked away.

"How come I'm always the one that does things wrong? How come I'm always the one to get blamed?!"

said Alex, she was disappointed, she had actually thought she might have made friends, but Winsor hated her, Ryan she wasn't to sure about, John was probably dead, and....David, she still kinda liked him, she didn't know what he thought of her though. Suddenly Alex ran around to the other side of the gravedigger, and started shooting it, not caring if she died or not.

"Die stupid thing!"

Alex shot the beast until she ran out of ammo, it shrieked again, and luckily fell to the ground. Alex dropped down to her knees and began to cry, she hadn't cried since she was really young. She wanted to die in one way, but in another, she just wanted to have friends and a good life, just to be happy. She figured she wouldn't live anyway. She could see her veins, almost looking like they were out of her skin, and her eyes were almost a grayish color, bloodshot too. David walked over to her, and Alex said in a soft voice,

"Why...."


	20. The Cure Is In The Blood

Dr.William Birkin

David put his hand on Alexandra's shoulder. "Don't worry Alex...I'm not going to let you die...even if it kills me I'll find the antigen...". "How touching, David has a girlfriend...awwwwww..." said Winsor, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "What are you gonna do Dave? Hm? Kiss her and make it all better?" David turned, his eyes filling with hatred. "At least I'm not a failure as a human being like you are you stupid bitch...at least I haven't spent my whole life running from foster home to foster home...god..you make me SICK..". Winsor was shocked and confused at how David of all people would know about her childhood. "OK....before we get into another little quarrel....Dave..which way is the hospital from where we are..." Ryan said. "Well...from where we WERE...it would have been.." David stopped then continued "We would have gone down the tunnel and taken a left, the first sewer grate should have opened up right on 4th street which is across from the hospital." Winsor broke her shocked silence by glaring at him and snapping "HOW THE HELL WOULD YOU KNOW YOU MANIC DEPRESSIVE MANIAC...". David's cold, piercing eyes fell onto her, "I know allot more things than you think I do Winsor..." he said coldly.

Director of security Brian Markenson stared into the tv monitor set for the staging area, where Nathan had just killed the supposed "Super tyrant". Hitting a button on his desk, he opened the intercom line to the office piers was in. "Once again doctor..you're little monsters have failed us..." "THAT WAS LUCK!" replied Piers, none to happy with Markenson's questioning of his judgment. "Just remember doctor..." he said the word doctor with an edge of hatred and cynicism, "That we have a subject with a vital antigen in his bloodstream on the loose...not to mention the others...NOT TO MENTION ONE OF OUR INTELLIGENCE OPERATIVES HAS CURRENTLY GONE ROGUE ON US, AND IS IN A POSITION TO UNDERMINE ALL WE'VE WORKED FOR!!!" shouted Markenson. "Look....I'll deal with the antigen carrier...YOU deal with Sunderland..after all..you're the one who had him trained....you caused you're own problem, ill be damned if I'll clean it up for you!!!". Markenson sighed, and lit another cigarette. It was going to be a very long night.

City of the Dead

"Hey guys, I think I've found something" John said spotting an opening in the gravedigger's tunnel.

John looked up to see a large hole near the ceiling of the tunnel, he couldn't make out what was there, but the sounds of trickling water made it clear that it was part of the sewer system. Ryan, David, and Winsor walked over to view John's finding. Alex continued to weep by the gravedigger's corpse.

"Give me a boost, I'll check it out" John said to Ryan.

Ryan walked over to John and hoisted him far enough to reach into the hole.

"Goddamn, your heavier than you look" Ryan grunted.

"You calling me fat?" John yelled back jokingly.

John reached up into the alcove and grabbed hold of a rusty pipe. He pulled himself up inside the small opening. It was nothing more than a series of pipes attached to a set of cracked green bricks. John put his ear up to the bricks and heard running water from the other side.

"What's up there?" John heard Ryan yell.

"Hold on" John replied.

He pushed the bricks, and felt them give slightly. John held one of the pipes and started kicking the walls, rousing up dust and sending it into his face. he squinted his eyes and kicked even harder, until one of the bricks fell out. He coughed, dusted himself off, and tore the other bricks out with his hands. Inside was a cemented hallway that curved to the right just up ahead. He automatically knew what it was, the sewers.

"Hey guys!!!!" John yelled. "I found a way out!!!!"

Ryan smiled, relieved that they didn't have to spend their time wondering around through a monster's dwelling, even though it appeared to be dead.

"Then help us up" Ryan called.

John bent down as far as he could and held out his hands, Ryan grabbed his arms and scaled the wall.

"You know, YOU'RE heavier than you look" John said, making light of the comment Ryan made earlier.

"Yeah, I know, I need to lose weight" Ryan joked back, crawling up into the niche.

"Your turn Winsor" Ryan called bending down to get her.

"My night in shining armor" She sarcastically said grabbing hold of his arms and crawling up.

"Come on David" Ryan called.

"Thanks" David said, crawling into the hole.

"Alex, your next" Ryan yelled down the tunnel.

Alex got up and walked over to the opening, taking hold of Ryan's arms. A sick feeling came over Ryan as he pulled her up, feeling her icy cold, almost lifeless, hands. After she was up, the four crawled through the space in the wall and started walking though the sewer passage. They turned right and looked upon what looked like a river of water.

"Looks like we're going to have to get wet again" David said...

Jarred and Vanessa, after walking around for what seemed like hours, had found their way into the sewers. Jarred had put down a few zombies, all of them wearing janitorial uniforms. He welcomed the sight of the shambling undead, after the gravedigger, the nemesis, those bug like monsters in the test area, and the nemesis, the zombies were a walk in the park.

Actually that analogy might prove unfitting in this case, after all, who knows what's lurking in the park

Jarred chuckled lightly at the thought.

"What is it?" Vanessa asked, curious to why he was laughing.

"Oh its nothing" Jarred said.

"Okay then psycho" Vanessa joked.

Jarred looked over towards Vanessa, she was probably the only reason he hasn't lost his mind yet. He started thinking about the first time he ever saw her, it was in Wheeler's Biology class, she was glowing in a way that only he would have appreciated. She wasn't peppy like everyone else, she walked in, threw her feet up on the desk, and wouldn't talk to anyone unless it was too insult them, which he absolutely adored because most everyone who went to Warren High was a complete idiot. He never tried to talk to her, he had no idea what to say.

"Hey Vanessa, um...." Jarred said nervously

"What is it?" She asked.

"Remember Wheeler's biology class?" He asked.

"Heh, yeah, nothing but a bunch of idiots huh?" She laughed.

"Heh heh, yeah...Um, I..." Jarred couldn't express what he wanted to say.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Um..."

"HEY GUYS!!!!" A familiar voice called from down the sewage tunnel.

"Oh hi Ryan" Jarred said, a little angry about Ryan's timing.

"Hey guys, where's Nathan?" He asked.

"He went to take care of some unfinished business" Vanessa said.

"Oh okay, well, how are you guys?" Ryan asked.

"Um, great" Jarred said.

"Well, lets go this way, the others are waiting for us" Ryan said running back the way he came.

Jarred watched him trudge through the water, bitterly thinking about the first time Ryan had ruined his moment with Vanessa, back in the lobby of the school.

"Come on, lets get out of here" Vanessa said.

"Okay, lets go" Jarred said following Ryan further into the sewage passage...

Joker

Ryan was leading Jarred and Vanessa back to the remainder of the group when he started to think about their current predicament. One significant issue was Alex, who was slowly getting worse from the effects of the virus. It seemed as if the effects of the infection were nearing completion physically, so the mind was next to go.

"Don't give up, Alex. The hospital's close...", Ryan thought.

Ryan suddenly became very dizzy. He slumped against a wall for a moment, waiting for the dizzy spell to subside. The wound he sustained to the leg was getting worse.

Just as Jarred was hoping for something minor to happen to Ryan for all the times he had interrupted his attempt to reveal his feelings for Vanessa, he noticed Ryan, back against the wall, looking quite dazed. This wasn't what he had in mind. A simple trip would have done.

"Hey, Ryan... you ok?"

Ryan looked up at where the voice had come from. The voice was quite fuzzy, but amidst all of it, he heard his name mentioned.

The haze obscuring his vision started to clear as he regained his composure.

"Ryan, you ok?", Jarred repeated slightly more anxiously.

"Huh? ... oh, yeah... just a bit faint...", Ryan managed to reply before straightening up again. He had to get that wound treated soon.

It was then he realized he still had his MP5K slung around him.

"Go on ahead", Ryan said, pointing to where the others were. "I'll be just a minute."

"Are you sure?" Vanessa asked.

"Yeah, just go. I'll be right along."

As Jarred and Vanessa left, Ryan unslung the MP5K and detached the sling. He then ripped out a piece of his jacket's lining and pressed it over the wound. Winding the sling around it firmly, he attached the two ends.

Looking at his handiwork, Ryan wondered if medicine was in his future. For having no First Aid experience, that was a pretty good makeshift tourniquet. All he had to worry about now was trying to carry the weapon. "Shouldn't be too much of a problem. It's empty", Ryan thought with ambivalence. It would be lighter, which was good. But then, it would be useless in a fight, which was bad.

As Ryan made his way back to the group, he could hear them talking.

"...he went nuts and started blasting at that 'Gravedigger' thing and got himself hurt doing it."

"'Gravedigger'?"

"Yeah. Whatever he did must have weakened it because we beat it off fairly easily later."

"Oh, he's a regular saint..."

Ryan knew that last voice distinctly by the sarcastic tone. It was Winsor, no question.

"But I haven't been canonized yet. Then again, if it's going to involve a cannon, probably better that it be 'Holier Than Thou' Winsor than me, right?", Ryan proclaimed as he came back.

Once again, Ryan's caustic retorts caught Winsor off-guard. Especially since he wasn't supposed to have heard any of it.

"Ok, so are we on our way to the hospital or what?" David said, trying to get them all moving again.

"Wait", Jarred said. "What about Nath? We can't just leave him here."

"I don't know whether you've been keeping up on current events," John interjected, "but Alex needs treatment now."

"Why not just leave her here?", Winsor said. "She's not going to make it."

"Hey! Shut the fuck up!" was the reply from both David and John. A lot of disgusted stares were visible among the others.

"Do you want to be left here, Winsor?", Ryan asked indignantly.

"Oh, you're not going to 'drag me out at gunpoint'?" Winsor replied sarcastically.

"Oh, I am. That's not an issue. But I never promised I'd like doing it.", Ryan replied with equal sarcasm.

"Hey!", Vanessa interrupted. "While normally I'd love to hear Winsor being slapped down some more, we've got more important things to decide on."

Winsor shot a glance of pure dislike toward Vanessa. Apparently she was enjoying the fact Winsor was getting hit back for once.

"Ok, I'll ask again", David said quickly, seizing the opportunity to bring the conversation back on course.

"Are we going back for Nathan or getting treatment for Alex?"

Carlos Oliveira

Hearing the chopper Nathan ran towards the hospital hoping that it would land there. Looking up he saw it. Slowly it circled before army clad men zip lined from the chopper and onto the ground. Nathan knew they were not here to help. Racing ahead he reached the hospital and threw the doors open as he fell inside. Standing up he started walking for the stairs. The halls were dark with the creepy backup lights making everything a reddish color. Making his way up the stairs to the second floor Nathan thought about Sam. (_She may have hated me but I hope she's ok,....and the rest of them too._) he thought. Opening the door he stepped out into the hallway and walked to the first surgical room he saw. Pushing the doors open he stepped inside and looked for something to ease his pain.

"Bingo! Morphine!!" he said to himself as he found the pain killer.

Finding a syringe he drained some out of the bottle and squeezed the air out. Lifting his arm he plunged the needle into himself and depressed the plunger. Feeling it rush into his body he suddenly felt numb.

"Maybe I used to much?" he asked himself.

Walking over to the computer table he sat down and started reading the file on the screen.

__

Subject has had the anti-viral for 12 hours now. He has no recollection of this being in his system. The subject was injected with a large dose. Recovery of the subject is imperative. Blood must be drawn and examined with the molecular reader.

Looking around Nathan saw the reader. Turning his eyes to the screen he continued to read.

__

The blood has the serum for the anti-viral but it is still incomplete. Subjects die from extreme pain after 24 hours of being injected with the serum. The essence of the drug 'Morphine' has the final testing to be completed tomorrow. The mixture should be 50 parts to a full vial of the serum. Immediately following the test the data with be handed over to Doctor Michael Piers for a full examination. The subject...one Nathan Law will then be disposed of. Further information will follow after my afternoon report.

Signed,

Doctor Peter Barns

"What the fuck is going on!?!?" said Nathan out loud as he stood.

"There's no way I have that shit in me!!" Nathan said as he took out his smokes and reached in to light one. He pulled out what he thought was a smoke but when his lips touched it he felt cool glass. Taking it from his mouth he stared in awe at the vial the size of a cigarette.

"What the hell?" was all he could manage.

Grabbing the empty syringe he filled it with the vial's fluid. It filled to 150mg, and he realized that the morphine was 75mg. It had to be it. Nathan plunged the syringe into his arm and felt the serum rushing into him. Taking the needle out he waited a few moments. When nothing happened he placed it into his other arm and drew a full amount of blood out. Squeezing it into a vial he took it to the reader and slide it into place. The computer started automatically.

Serum inserted....running test program anti-viral.......morphine detected.....anti-vial serum detected.....balance of chemicals......match....blood of subject Nathan Law Detected......mixing.........~wirrrrrrrl~......mixing complete.......anti-viral antidote finished purification process.........result.....Antidote Found!Antidote Found!Antidote Found!Antidote Found!Antidote Found! Proceed with mass production.......end program.

The machine shut itself down as Nathan pulled out the Vial.

"I can save Alex." he whispered to himself as he pocketed the antidote.

Taking out his cell phone he checked to make sure it was still working. He had fallen into the sewage but his pockets were waterproof, after all his smokes were still dry. He went to the instant messenger and dialed Vanessa's number. Entering a quick message telling her he was at the hospital with the antidote. He sent it and hoped that her phone was still working......


	21. From Underground Maze To Deadly Streets

Note: There is a link in which if copied and paste, you will see the map. If it works. . . COTD made it.

Dr.William Birkin

Defensive of Alex, David shot a cold, angry glance at the others. "FACE IT! YOU'RE FRIEND..THIS..NATHAN OR WHATEVER IS A CORPSE!!!! HE'S GONE, TIME TO MOVE ON.....whereas....Alexandra is NOT dead...now, we can go corpse chasing for hours, or we can save her life....there's only one right answer on which of those we should do and you ALL know what it is..." "See? Dave's getting alllllll possessive of his little girlfriend..pathetic..and you said I was the failure..." snapped Winsor. David walked directly up to her, staring deep into her eyes, the hatred and rage having built to the breaking point. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't end you're pitiful existence...give me one good reason..." he said, raising his revolver with a shaking arm. "DAVID, STOP...THIS ISN'T HELPING.."yelled Ryan. "OOOOOOOH....DAVE'S GONNA SHOOT ME, I'M TERRIFIED...". David breathed heavily directly into her face..a smirk forming across his face, "Yes...I know you are..I can see it in you're comically dilated little eyes...you're petrified of dying down here...admit it Winsor..you're weak...you know it as well as I do...." he said, pulling the hammer back. "I repeat...give me a reason not to fire you stupid slut...." "David....stop..." said Alex, her voice now shaky from the crying and growing infection. David sighed, and shoved Winsor away from him, "You're right Alex...she's not worth the ammunition anyway....Well, if the rest of you are going to let Alex die...then the hell with you, I'LL go find that antigen if needed...." David said as he began to climb out. "That didn't work last time, and its not going to work now....David, if you go she's dead for sure...I know you care about her but if you leave now we wont have ANY idea where the hell we are!!! You seem to know this place..." interjected Ryan, David stopped, and said with his back turned, "Yes...that's true....well then, I suppose I wont be going after all....", he sat down on a rock that had fallen from the diggers hole and began to idly reload his pistol, listening to the conversation of the others. All hope and any trace of anger had left his eyes, replaced by a vacant stare as he thought of the probable failure this night would end in. "What if that moron Winsor was right...what if Alex IS going to die....then you've just spent the past 2 hours becoming unnecessarily attached to a walking corpse....". The water dripped down into the tunnel, the slow, constant, oppressive beat of it a reminder of how the clock was ticking away...how Alex...David...all of them....were slowly running out of time...

City of the Dead

November 22, 2001

11:27 P.M.

David led the way down the sewage passages. He knew that they were close to their destination point. The passages were a welcome change compared to Warren's ancient dark tunnels, or the gravedigger's holes. He could do without the sewer water though.

All of a sudden, he stopped, taking in his surroundings; he knew where they were now.

"What is it?" Vanessa asked.

David turned around and faced everyone.

"We're here" David replied.

"Where?" Jarred asked.

David pointed towards a rusted ladder against the wall.

"The closest we're going to get to the hospital" He said.

"Now listen up guys, we're about to enter the city, watch yourselves, it's more dangerous than you might think" David said taking the first step onto the rung.

Ryan watched David crawl up the ladder. Why is he so worried about the city? After the things we have faced - the nemesis, the gravedigger, the hunters, I'm sure we can handle anything that comes our way.

David finally pushed the sewer lid aside and Ryan looked up through the manhole to see the night sky. David crawled out of the sewer.

"HURRY UP!!! GET OUT OF THERE" David yelled down to the others.

"What the..?" Jarred began to ask.

BANG BANG BANG

The bursts from David's handgun signaled that something wasn't right. Jarred ran over to the ladder and crawled up, taking in a deep breath of foul-smelling air that made him a little faint. He looked up to see David shooting at a hoard of zombies coming up the street.

"Run, get to that restaurant over their" David yelled over the deafening gunfire.

Jarred looked over to his right to see the "Rookery" restaurant on the street corner, he ran over to it and tried the door, it was locked.

Vanessa was the next to crawl out of the sewer. David was holding off a mass of zombies. She couldn't tell how many there were all together, but there were about twenty walking into the orange glow of the street lights, and even more trailing behind in the darkness

"Holy Shit" She yelled.

"Follow Jarred, go on, get going" David said to her.

Vanessa looked over to see Jarred kicking in the glass door of the rookery. She ran over to the restaurant, looking back to see Ryan, Winsor, John, and Alex coming up behind her.

"Ah, dammit" She said, cutting her hand on some glass. She climbed through the broken glass door just in time to see Jarred obliterate the face of a female zombie; her corpse fell onto the black and white tiled floor. Judging by her clothes, she looked like she was in her early teens.

"God, David wasn't kidding, this is all one big death trap" Jarred said glaring at the twitching body.

David and the others came running into the dark restaurant.

"Okay guys, here's the plan" he panted, setting a large map of Downtown Gaines onto one of the tables.

http://www.neotyrannical.8k.com/Downtown_Gaines.gif

"Alright, right now we're on the corner of Forsyth and College Street, there, where the circled blue dot is" David said.

"You enjoy coloring with markers?" Winsor asked sarcastically.

"There's no time for this Winsor" David yelled. "The X's are areas that are kind of blocked off, due to car wreckage, blockades, etcetera" He continued

The moans of the zombies were growing closer.

"Shit" David exclaimed. "Anyways, we can head out the back of this place, then we'll be around the wreckage that is blocking the rest of Forsyth street, we can go through some more buildings, and we'll be right in front of the Medical Center, which is marked by the white H" David said frantically.

A staggering shadow appeared in the doorway, and then another, and another.

"Come on lets go to the back everyone" Jarred yelled running into the kitchen.


	22. Bitch Slapped And Mutation

Dr.William Birkin

David looked outside at the dark, chaotic remains of the town of Gaines. "Welcome to hell everyone.....anyway...." he said, looking down at the map, and pulling a pocket flashlight out of the pocket of his m-47 field jacket, the one he almost always wore. "This" he said, turning the light on and pointing at a large gray square, "Is the hospital....we...areeee...just about here..." he said pointing at a small building a block away. "Now...thankfully those things aren't very fast....if we run like hell we just might make it to the hospital.." "OKAY...WHOA..HOLD ON A MINUTE HERE.....you want us to run through those things?! Okay its official, he's lost his mind...." Winsor yelled. "Or...we could sit here and wait to die....which should we do? I mean you OBVIOUSLY have some kind of superior knowledge to ours...ENLIGHTEN US OH WISE AND ALL SEEING WINSOR......" yelled David sarcastically. "Now....if we......" he stopped, hearing what sounded like cracking glass in the kitchen of the restaurant. "What the hell was that....sounded too controlled to be a zombie...." said Jarred, turning his head to the large double doors leading into the back of the restaurant. The doors busted open a second later, 2 figures in tactical gear and gas masks walked into the room, aiming laser sighted m4 carbines. "TARGET SIGHTED!" yelled one, and fired a burst at the group.

The cleaner troops had arrived....the zombies were the last of their worries now....

Jill Valentine

"Holy shit! RUN!"David yelled, being the first to sprint towards the opposite direction of the troops' position.

The others began to follow, narrowly missing the constant shots being fired at them.

Hearing the rhythmic march of the troops heavily drum the kitchen floor, the 7 youths had managed to escape them.

After several breathless, anxious minutes, the troops evacuated the restaurant.

"Everyone ok?" David asked peering at the numerous faces behind him.

"Yeah we're ok..." Jarred replied checking if anyone was wounded.

"Ok lets get to my plan then!"

David smiled, pulling the piece of paper from his pocket, smoothing it over the kitchen table making it visible for the others to see.

As David explained, Jarred could see that the others began to get restless.

"Are you sure this will work?" John asked peering over David's shoulder, looking at his so called, "plan."

David gave him a reassuring glare.

"Of course it will dumbass, it's "David the great," remember?"Winsor's sarcastic tone came, as she annoyingly rolled her eyes.

"Hey Bite me bitch!" David responded, slamming his fist down on the table.

"Ooo...I'm sooo scared! Why am I not amused at your pathetic attempts for a comeback?"

"Alright guys, enough!" interrupted Jarred.

"Jarred I can handle this..Winsor you wanna take this outside?" David said, violently pushing Winsor's shoulder.

"Hey, leaver her alone, she was only being...well herself !" Ryan defended Winsor, holding back David's arm.

"Let go you faggot!" David yelled, pushing away Ryan's arm, looking at Winsor through evil, angry eyes.

"Now your really scaring me King," Winsor said with a smile.

David ran at her with rage, Ryan trying to hold him back. John grabbed David's other arm, with both of them trying to prevent him from physically abusing Winsor. Winsor now had a look of fear upon her face.

"David please stop...please!" Alex pleaded, tears forming in her baby blue eyes.

"Fuck off!" David yelled again, John and Ryan still restricting his anger from Winsor.

"WOULD YOU ALL SHUT THE FUCK UP BEFORE I RIP MY HAIR OUT FROM THE INSANITY!!!!" echoed Vanessa's outraged voice from the constant bickering; it was giving her a terrible migraine.

"Go ahead, it's about time you at least have one flaw," came another sarcastic remark from Winsor.

The rage built up into the power of Vanessa's left hand. Forming her hand into a fist, she raised her arm and released it on Winsor's face; a heavy thud sounding throughout the hollow kitchen walls.

Winsor felt the surge of heat throbbing against her cheek, and looked up at Vanessa in complete, utter awe.

"I'm so sorry..." Vanessa apologized, looking down at her red, trembling hands.

"I didn't mean to do that Winsor...I'm so sorry..."

Winsor looked up and smiled, running her hands over the sore red spot, that formed a throbbing lump on her cheek.

"I didn't know you had that in you Vanessa. Well done."

The others stood quietly, a look of anxiety and impatience drawn upon their exhausted expressions; all of them speechless, and confused.

Suddenly dry coughs ascended from Vanessa's rugged throat, blood spurting out on her hands, as she leaned over in a painful gesture.

"Are you ok there? I didn't say die or anything..." Winsor put her hand sincerely on Vanessa's back, as if it was the first time she had shown sympathy.

Vanessa crouched quietly for a few seconds, only to abruptly raise her head in a vicious threatened manner. Her pupils were not visible as red veins filled the center

of her eyes, as her skin began to turn a sickening tint of purple.

Inhumane shrieks erupted her mutating body, as the others slowly faltered away from her as she evolved from human to mutation.

"Holy shiiiiittt!!" John cried, not hesitating to run.

"How is this possible how?!!!" Ryan yelled, following John as he sprinted out of the door.

Jarred began to think the same thing in his head, over and over. He was saddened by the fact that Vanessa was no longer Vanessa, but he didn't understand why.

"Oh my god...." he suddenly said to himself."That spider bite...she must be...holy shit!"

Jarred followed on after the others, casually looking behind him as he ran.

The loud footsteps of Vanessa's evolved mutation suddenly ceased; followed by more coughing and cries of pain. Jarred stopped, turning around to see Vanessa, who had returned to her human form.

"No Jarred leave her, she's done for, come on!"

Jarred ignored John's plea's for him to return back to them, and headed towards an exhausted Vanessa who lay on the ground.

"Jarred go!" Vanessa yelled."Leave me here! Just go!"

Jarred still refused as he carried her frail body over to where the others stood.

"No! I'll get help! You'll be fine!" he replied, looking deep into her blue eyes, full of pain, yet innocence.

"Let's get to the hospital," Jarred announced still holding Vanessa in his arms.

"She need immediate medical attention..."


	23. Hospital Stand Off

Dr.William Birkin

The nightmare just got worse. David was convinced he was in hell, doomed to see everyone he either cared for or began to trust slaughtered in front of his eyes. He turned to Alex, half afraid that when his eyes met hers the red, swollen veins that were the signal the virus had reached its final stages would be glaring back. Instead he saw the same blue, if not a little pale, eyes that he had come to know. "Okay...lets start moving..." said Jarred, and they all began to walk off. Except for David. "Dave..? Is...is everything okay?" said Alex, concerned even as the mutagen toxins built up in her own cells. "No....no there is something horribly horribly wrong,......what...what if there's not enough of the vaccine for both of you...there's a very good possibility of that...hell we don't even know if it'll work in time!". "THIS ISN'T THE TIME FOR THIS..." yelled Ryan, not so much angry as terrified he might be right. "What happens if we have to choose one of them.....I mean...what then? who do we let die and who do we save...?". They all began walking, the question David posed weighing heavily on their minds....

Joker

"Well, let's get to the God damn hospital already and stop wasting time", Ryan said quite impatiently. "I don't want another person's blood on my hands..."

"Oh, that's rich. The nobleman doesn't want to get bloody," Winsor said, seizing the opportunity to get Ryan back.

"Are you so stupid that you have no idea what a metaphor is, Winsor?", Ryan asked ominously.

"Wait... what do you mean 'on your hands'?", Jarred asked, curious about Ryan's choice of words. It almost sounded as if he was responsible for something. Something like someone's death or someone's near-death state...

Ryan said nothing, only waving them forward in the direction of the Medical Center.

While the group made their way to the Medical Center, Ryan glanced at the lethargic Vanessa and couldn't help but feel guilty. He had run off when she needed help and now she was paying the price for his mistake. It just wasn't God damn fair. He glanced over at John and saw much the same expression. They had tried to be the heroes of the day, but instead only left Jarred, Alex and Vanessa alone with that fucking spider. If Paul were alive, he might be feeling the same way.

"But that was another failure", Ryan thought, the feeling of defeat hitting him like a point-blank shot to the face. Every time he tried to help, he only got someone in trouble. He tried to help his classmates, they got killed because he couldn't do a damn thing. He went to help Alex, now she was turning into one of the very abominations that pursued them at every turn. He went to help Winsor, he got Paul killed and Vanessa was going that way soon enough as well.

But he didn't do anything to them, did he? Was he really at fault? His father would have probably told him that he handled the situation quite well for 17. Then again, he also would have told him that youths and guns didn't mix, so what the hell did he know? Well, he knew enough to give Ryan a basic foresight into the use of weapons and tactics of the Gaines PD SWAT. Foresight or blind luck, Ryan didn't know, but he did know that both were very useful right now.

It was about now Ryan thought, "Thank God these people never got to know me better. If it had have been someone I actually knew, I would have lost it completely by now..."

Ryan cursed under his breath for such a selfish thought. He knew that he cared far too much about people, no matter who they were. Sure, these people would have normally ignored him, just like everyone else did, but this was something he wouldn't have wished upon anyone. In fact, he never even thought it possible until now.

But here they were, stuck in a city that was about as close to the bowels of Hell as one could experience without letting one of the minions disembowel them.

__

"Oh, but that would not be the case", Ryan thought, his mind starting to corrupt with a bloodthirsty vengeance. _"Now they're going to see just what lies on the other side of the horizon."_

All this time, Ryan had been completely oblivious to the conversation around him. John had noticed that Ryan was staring off into space with a blank and almost glassy expression.

"Hello in there?", John said jokingly as he waved his hand in front of Ryan's face.

Ryan roughly shook his head and looked toward John.

"Yeah, what?"

"Oh, good. For a minute, I thought your mind had taken a wander off into uncharted territory..."

Ryan laughed slightly as he thought to himself...

"You're more correct than you think..."

City of the Dead

"You're not out of the woods yet!!!" Piers yelled, frantically hitting buttons on the control board. His whole plan had failed. Thanks to Nathan, the creature once known as David Law had suffered a huge setback. Piers managed to salvage the corpse, but now he wasn't even sure rejuvenation was a possibility. Piers almost didn't notice the ringing phone.

"What is it?" He said bitterly answering the phone.

"We've lost contact with squad B, they were supposed to secure the park," Markenson said.

"What the hell happened now?" Piers asked.

"I don't know, their last transmission sounded like a huge gun battle," Markenson replied.

"Could have been the zombies," Piers said shouldering the phone while scanning the monitors.

"No, before the transmission faded, a monstrous roar was heard, and I was thinking maybe you would know what could wipe out a whole squad of experienced soldiers," Markenson said with an aggravated tone to his voice.

"I don't have a clue, I'm mostly in charge of the lower level B. O. W." Piers said.

"Hmmm...Call me if you hear anything," Markenson said hanging up the phone.

"Bastard," Piers said slamming the phone down.

Markenson did propose a perplexing thought, what could have killed an entire squad of experienced soldiers? He has seen the cleaners take out a whole pack of hunters without breaking a sweat. Something wasn't right, and he didn't want to be confined to the basement security office anymore. He got up and shot a glance towards David Law inside the cultivation tank.

"Those bastards ruined my plans, now I'm going to ruin them," He said setting a course for Downtown Gaines...

Nathan sat in the hospital lobby by the large glass wall. From there the city seemed so far away. It was an eerily beautiful sight. Two large smoke clouds billowed out from the downtown streets; the only sounds that could be heard were the ominous low moans of the restless undead. Really, it was the first time he's seen the city since he's been at Warren. He had entered the hospital's back entrance earlier.

__

I wonder if they're still alive out there.

Nathan toyed with the antidote he had obtained earlier. He couldn't believe it; he could have helped Alex a long time ago if he had only known. He put the antidote back into his pocket and stared out the window.

"What the hell?" Nathan said, spotting something in the streets near the hospital. They were moving way too fast to be zombies, and there were about seven of them...

"Holy shit, it's them," Nathan said jumping out of the chair. They had made it, he could save Alex. He darted across the huge lobby/waiting room, jumping over several chairs and couches heading towards the entrance. He turned a corner and ran through the doors. Nathan stood out in the street as they came running for the entrance.

"HEY GUYS!!!!!" Nathan yelled waving his arms.

"Nathan!!??" He heard Jarred yell.

"Yeah man; come on hurry up," Nath yelled to everyone.

Nathan's smile quickly turned to a look of confusion, something wasn't right. Jarred had Vanessa's arm over his shoulder, she seemed out of it. He waited until they got to the entrance.

"Hey what's wrong with..." Nathan began to say.

"We have no time; we need to find an antidote for the both of them," Jarred said going past Nathan into the lobby.

"What happened?" Nathan asked.

"The spider bite," Jarred said laying Vanessa down on one of the couches.

"Quick, we need an antidote, Alex doesn't have that much time left and neither does Vanessa," Jarred said to Nathan.

"Well, long story short, I've had the antidote all along, it was in my blood stream, I just found out about it, here, take it," Nathan said handing Jarred the vial.

"...There's only enough for one," Jarred said staring at the vial.

Jarred walked over and looked at Vanessa and Alex.

"I'm going to go find more, there has to be some around here somewhere," Jarred announced.

"What the hell?" David said getting up from a chair.

"David, give one of them the antidote, I promise I'll be back with some more," Jarred said.

"How do you know there is more?" David asked.

"Because I just do," Jarred said recalling the document he read earlier. It had said that viral antidote research was conducted at the hospital.

"I'm going with you," Nathan said suddenly.

"Me too," John spoke up.

"Count me in," David said.

"Okay, Ryan, Winsor, Um, wait here until we get back," Nathan said.

"Oh boy, I get to stay here with sleeping beauties," Winsor said referring to the unconscious Vanessa.

Jarred, Nathan, and John walked through the emergency room double doors and looked around. The hospital was a mess.

"Okay, what would be the best area to look?" Jarred asked.

"Let's check the lower levels, that's where all the things like blood and medicine are stored," David said.

The four nodded and walked over towards an elevator...

Carlos Oliveira

"Jarred! We don't need to look for it man. I told you I've got it in my blood!" said Nathan.

"What do you mean in your blood?" asked John.

"Listen ok it's a long story but I'll try to make it short. I'll tell you on the way ok." Nathan replied.

The three took off following Nathan as he ran through the hospital.

"My father David is....was A CIA agent. He was onto Piers and Isis all along...He created this outbreak by accident while trying to bring Isis down. He managed to escape and make it home. He slipped a vial into my pack of smokes. He told me to come to the school that I would be safe here. I...He made me shoot him....he had the virus and I didn't know what to do. Then Piers made a mistake. While I was in here I found a computer all about the virus. I learned how to mix it. There's a machine that's making vials of it right now man."

Jarred stopped dead in his tracks.

"What?!? There is more of it?" asked Jarred.

"Yes! Lots of it!"

"Whoo! Hoo! We're in business now!" yelled John.

Turning the corner Nathan leaped over a chair and stopped in front of a door. Opening it he rushed to the computer and brought up the screen.

"There's more Jarred. Read this while I get the Antigen ok?"

"Alright but hurry!" answered Jarred.

"John give me a hand here." asked Nathan.

Nathan scooped up four vials and began filling them with his blood. Looking over he saw the look on Jarred's face as he read the file.

__

The blood has the serum for the anti-viral but it is still incomplete. Subjects die from extreme pain after 24 hours of being injected with the serum. The essence of the drug 'Morphine' has the final testing to be completed tomorrow. The mixture should be 50 parts to a full vial of the serum. Immediately following the test the data with be handed over to Doctor Michael Piers for a full examination. The subject...one Nathan Law will then be disposed of. Further information will follow after my afternoon report.

Signed,

Doctor Peter Barns

Nathan placed each bottle into the machine, making the serum quickly. John looked at him and asked,...

"How do you know this'll work?"

"It's simple...your body mass produces blood ok? Now when something like this is introduced into your blood stream it multiplies leaving billions of this stuff in your system. As long as I'm alive the serum will be in abundance!" answered Nathan.

"Those BASTARDS!!" yelled Jarred as he finished reading..."They had it all along and let all these people die!! Why dammit!!"

Quietly Nathan spoke, "Because Jarred.....when you have a 'hobby' you want to see it to it's fullest potential. These people have no morals and would never pass up a chance to see their creation in action. Their mad that's all crazy fuckin' mad."

"Hey!...What the..?" said John interrupting the conversation.

"What's wrong?" asked Jarred.

"It stopped making the serum!"

"What? That can't be!!" yelled Nathan as he rushed around John.

Staring at the machine Nathan read it quickly....

Morphine required.....please supply machine to complete process.

"SHIT! How many did we get John?" asked Nathan.

"Three. That's it!"

"That's enough for our purpose. Lets go." said Nathan as he grabbed a handful of syringes.

"GUYS!! WE'VE GOT COMPANY!!!" screamed Ryan as he tore into the room carrying Vanessa. Winsor was right behind with Alex in her arms. A very strange sight.

"What are you all looking at. Never seen someone help someone else before?" she spat out at them.

"Just not you! That's all." said John.

"Well there's a first for everything isn't there!" said Winsor.

"Quick! Bring them here! Who did you give the serum too?" screamed Nathan as he filled the syringes with the serum. Walking over to the computer David read it quickly.

"I gave it to Alex!" answered Ryan.

"John hold up her arm." said Nathan as he bent in front of Vanessa.

Nathan stabbed it in and depressed the plunger. Vanessa immediately opened her eyes.

"Quick! Ryan get over here!" screamed Nathan.

At hearing her name David came out of his trace, and looked over.

"Why are you giving it to him?" he asked questioningly.

"Ryan. I saved your ass one time. You owe me! You were hurt by a creature weren't you?" said Nathan.

"What? Why do you say that?" he asked.

"Your leg! I can see the blood you're standing in!" answered Nath.

Ryan looked down and saw all the blood.

"Oh that." he said quietly.

Nathan took the opportunity and plunged the syringe into Ryan's arm depressing it just as quickly.

"OUCH! What the fuck!??!" yelled Ryan.

"Sorry man but you need this too!" answered Nathan as he tossed the syringe aside!

"Come on guys or have you forgotten our company?" asked Winsor.

"Anyone else been hurt? I've only got one syringe left!" asked Nathan.

"No everyone is ok!" answered Jarred.

Winsor walked over to Nathan and leaned in to speak to him while everyone was watching Vanessa, Ryan and Alex recover.

"Nath?"

Nathan looked at her with his piercing green eyes.

"What?"

"I...I...I just wanted to say....well....thanks that's all." she stumbled with her words turning away after having said them. Turning back quickly she spoke again..."And don't tell anyone I said that!"

Nathan smiled slightly,.."Ok. You have my word."

"Their coming! Everyone get ready!" said John as he hid behind a table aiming at the door.

"Vanessa take this and give Winsor your gun." said Nathan as he passed her the Benelli

Vanessa passed the 9mm to Winsor and took the shot gun.

"David take this..." said Nathan handing the rifle to him.

"Thanks Nathan." he said looking down as he took the rifle. He felt bad about leaving Nathan behind thinking he was dead, but not knowing him made it easier. (_What if I never met Alex? Could I have left her that easily?_) he asked himself.

"Everyone get ready!" said Nathan as he drew the 2 9mm and cocked them both.

"This time we are all getting outta here! They messed with the wrong students!" said Nathan bringing an unexpected smile to Winsor's lips.

Everyone took up position and prepared to stop these bastards once and for all.

Jarred ducked with Vanessa behind the table that John was behind and David took Alex to the other one flipping it over and ducking behind it. Nathan stood in the center aiming at the door. Winsor a step behind him, was crouched behind the machine.

"Guys? Let me just say no matter what happens....It's been my pleasure knowing you all." his gaze passing over them all as they stared at him Nathan smiles suddenly.

"Not even wrestling is this much fun!"

With that they prepared for the men to enter.......


	24. Treating The Physically And The Mentally

Dr.William Birkin

David got the door in his sights, determined to kill something before they could take him. The door began to slide open slowly... "BREACH BANG AND CLEAR!!!" yelled a voice from beyond, a small canister flew into the room bouncing off of a wall and landing near the back, behind the makeshift barricade. "Shit...flash bang...we don't even get to see them coming..." thought David as the others ducked instinctively. The loud report and phosphorescent light subsided quickly, the angle the bang landed at obscuring it slightly. "DIE!" yelled Nathan, blasting at the now oncoming cleaner troops with the akimbo 9mms. A shot hit one in the upper chest, knocking him back. The sound of the m4 carbines blasting forth bursts of 5.56mm rounds barely muted the shotgun/small arms/rifle fire being returned. 2 more soldiers fell. David, now having reached the breaking point, stood up and began madly firing the rifle at the troops. "EAT THIS YOU FREAKS!!!!!!!!" yelled David, squeezing the trigger rapidly, mowing one soldier down and narrowly missing another.

He never saw the laser targeted flash across his left arm, and never heard the burst of automatic fire that hit him in the torso. David's mind seemed to shut off, as he fell backwards unconscious, the searing wounds filling his body with a dull ache. Darkness clouded his vision as the gunfight continued...

"TARGET #2 IS DOWN!" screamed one of the soldiers, blazing away at the stubborn survivors with his m4, stopping only to reload. "SHIT, THIS IS INSANITY..FALL BACK...FALL BA-" the squad leaders words ceased flowing as a shotgun blast threw him to the ground dead instantly. The soldiers began walking backwards, down the hallway. Bursts of gunfire periodically signaling they may have been beaten for now, but that this was far from over.

Security director Markenson stood in awe, staring at the monitors, the half smoked cigarette falling out of his gaping mouth. "MOTHER OF GOD...THEY ACTUALLY......well I'll be damned...a group of stubborn teenagers just fought off a squad of some of my best retrieval agents..." Slamming his fist down onto the intercom button, he screamed through to the lieutenant of the broken squad "LOOK...I'M NOT GOING TO ASK HOW YOU WERE DECIMATED BY A BUNCH OF INEXPERIENCED ROOKIES...ALL I'M GOING TO SAY IS IF YOU THINK YOU'RE OUT NOW, YOU'RE DEAD WRONG.....continue to watch them....I want them either incarcerated or dead before the sun rises!" "Uh...sir....we....we....they took us completely by surprise sir..the captain got blasted away by a shotgun that looked like it came from nowhere...we did tag that Sunderland kid though, as ordered." A smile formed on Markensons face...a cold, humorous, dark smile. "Well well well..now this should really get fun to watch..." he said, settling back in his chair as the activities continued over the security monitors...

Claire Redfield

Winsor slid her back down against the wall. Jarred and Nathan were right next to David who was bleeding from a wound that she couldn't see since Alex was blocking her view.

"Oh my God," Alex said.

"He's been shot," John said.

"It went through his arm. I don't think the bone is broken," Nathan said.

"Someone get something to help him," Vanessa said.

Winsor growled and lifted her head up. "I'll go find something," she muttered. She was exhausted. She knew the others were, but she just liked to see other people suffer. If she was to suffer she might as well amuse herself with suffering from others.

She got up and walked to a door a different door that the didn't come through. She opened the door and closed it behind her. The hall smelled of blood; the fact that some parts of the wall were splattered with dried blood. She raised her weapon, her eyes searching the hallway for anything moving or not moving.

__

Great. Go to the hospital. It will be safe...Safe my ass. Getting shot at is not really a good sign that you are "safe".

A noise came from behind her and she turned around, already readying herself for a shot.

Vanessa. Goddamn Vanessa was standing there she closed the door and slowly walked to Winsor.

Winsor snickered at the girl's stupidity. She could have shot her accidentally. She lowered the gun and turned her back to Vanessa and started to walk away.

"Winsor? Wait, I'm coming with you," Vanessa said. Her footsteps echoed through the hall as she ran to Winsor.

__

Wonderful. Out of all the people that survived this long, she is the one who wants to follow me.

"What do you want," Winsor snapped.

"I'll help find something. Anything. David is bleeding badly," Vanessa said.

"Really? I must have missed the bloodstain on the floor or that everyone that was surrounding him saying that he was hurt," Winsor said sarcastically.

Vanessa remained quiet as they stopped in front of the first door they have seen in the hallway. It was unmarked, but Winsor opened it. It appeared to be a doctor's office. A cluttered desk and a small locker in the room. There was papers covering the floor.

Vanessa walked over to the locker and opened it. She pulled out a white towel.

Winsor sighed. There was nothing else in the room. She put her head in her hands and winced a little in pain after touching her cheek. It was a little swollen.

Vanessa must have seen Winsor touch her cheek. "I'm sorry, Winsor. I shouldn't have hit you," she said meekly.

Winsor frowned. "You just made yourself weak now. You do know that?" she replied.

"Weak?" Vanessa asked curiously.

"Apologizing is for the weak. It proves that something that was thought to be intentional was actually unintentional. Pretty much a waste of energy," She said sighing.

"Why are you like that?" Vanessa asked.

"Like what?" Winsor replied tiredly. She was starting to become annoyed.

"Why are you so pessimistic? You always keep your distance from everyone, not to mention causing some fights," Vanessa said.

"Yeah, well John and David are morons," Winsor said replying with a smile.

"Even now you are using sarcasm. Why can't you-"

"-Be like you? That what makes us all different. We have different statuses. The popular people, the nerds, the goths. Where I stand is not with the goths," Winsor interrupted with a snap.

"Then who are you?" Vanessa asked.

"No one knows who they truly are, but what they become. I am different from everyone that went to our school. I was...handicapped in a way."

"Everyone is different."

"Yeah, but you know about friendship, love, and hope. I never had a family. Never. Anyone who tried to teach me, it wasn't the real thing. Only the original material can make me understand what is my purpose. I was a mistake. I never knew my parents, while your kind was loved and cared about."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but you are not the only one that has problems."

"Gee, I didn't know you cared," she said sarcastically.

Vanessa looked pissed. "I...we try to help you and still you can't accept it!"

"Accept what? Accept help when people think I need it? I am a mistake. I have no purpose in life. How can I care about others when no one cared about me in the beginning?" Winsor yelled. She looked away from Vanessa. "You have no idea what it's like to have confusion and emotions that are constantly questioned. The others say I care only about myself. I don't. I don't care what's going to happen to me and neither will the others or anyone else."

__

It's the truth too, isn't it? John almost shot me. David almost tackled me. Ryan threatened me. Alex thinks I hate her. Nathan and Jarred probably hate me and now Vanessa. They just don't understand. I don't want to be weak, like them. Apologizing to Nathan made me feel weaker, but also something else. So why do I feel weaker even more now than when I apologized?

Vanessa was about to say something, but sighed and slowly walked out of the room. Winsor followed, leaving the doctor's office and returning to the hall. Back to the others, but also facing a new threat. Something lurking in the ventilation shafts. Something black with a long curved claw on one hand, making small clicking noises.

Winsor and Vanessa didn't notice the noise from above them.

Joker

It had been an intense bout of gunplay. After Ryan tried to fire his empty SMG (and nearly got killed in the process), he was able to take one down with his Beretta. At least, he hoped it was him that took one down. David's psychotic rampage made it very hard to tell, but the natural tachypsychia afflicting Ryan made it easier to fight. His father told him about many instances where tachypsychia saved his life, the strange phenomenon occurring when someone was in mortal danger, seeming to slow down the very time-space continuum itself even though he was probably moving faster than ever. For once, Ryan was grateful for the natural processes of people. It probably saved them all.

After taking a deep breath, Ryan got up from his cover and noticed David on the floor, bleeding quite profusely while the others looked on. Winsor and Vanessa were nowhere to be seen.

As the ménagerie around David began to speculate just how wounded he was and how long Winsor would take to get some medical supplies, Ryan walked toward the group, more toward David than anyone and looked at them all incredulously.

"Had it occurred to any of you that it might be a good idea to try and keep him alive?!?", he said, desperately trying to formulate a plan of action.

"And just what would you have us do, Ryan?!?", John shot back. "There aren't any medical supplies here!"

"Jesus! What the hell ever happened to improvisation?!?", Ryan said as he took off his jacket and hunted around for something sharp. It took a hell of a long time to rip out the cloth for his leg tourniquet and David didn't have the luxury of time on his side.

Finding a stray scalpel, Ryan cut out the entire lining of his jacket. He would have just cut it up in its entirety, but it was his "lucky" jacket and he didn't feel like parting with it right now. Ryan figured they needed all the luck they could get. Hadn't been that lucky so far...

Then again, he was still alive, wasn't he?

"Jarred, your gun, please!", Ryan called.

"You're not going to shoot him, are you?", Jarred replied, mustering up a nervous laugh as he tossed the MP5K to Ryan.

"The thought had crossed my mind", Ryan retorted, without skipping so much as a beat as he caught the weapon and released the sling.

As Ryan once again began the laborious process of binding another wound, he thought about what to do with the abdominal wounds.

"Someone grab the rest of that cloth and press it against the wound! You want him bleeding any more than he has already?", Ryan called, only to discover that Nathan was way ahead of him in that department.

"You take First Aid, Ryan?", Nathan asked curiously.

"No, never. Do I sound like I know what I'm doing?"

"Well... yes", Nathan replied, quite surprised that Ryan was handling the situation as he was.

"Good. Then we might just get this under control", Ryan said as he finished the arm tourniquet. He hadn't bothered to mention that his father's role in SWAT was that of an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). Who knew listening to stories of treating bullet wounds would pay off?

While Ryan and Nathan worked furiously to staunch the flow of blood with what little they had, Jarred, John and Alex started searching the corpses. Alex was a little less pale than before. "Guess that's one less problem", Ryan thought as he pressed down on the bloody holes perforated in David.

Retrieving some M4's and some clips along with other miscellaneous tactical gear that survived the bullets, Jarred, John and Alex returned to check how David was doing. From what Ryan could see, the blood had stopped, but David was still wounded pretty heavily.

As the group started to relax a little more, a crash and a scream echoed down the hall.

John's head jerked in the direction of the noise as he said, almost echoing the sentiments of everyone, "What the hell was that?!?"


	25. Brainsucker Hospitality

Dr.William Birkin

David's eyes slowly began to open, the darkness of the room making him wonder whether he was still conscious or unconscious. He began to sit up but fell back to the ground feeling the immense pain in his left arm, the dagger like shock pushed through his entire body. "Well...I guess he's not dead..." said Jarred, noting how David was currently trying in vain to sit up. "David? Can you hear me? Are you ok?" said Alex, kneeling down next to him. "Yes..I...I think I'm ok..." replied David, "The real question is why the hell didn't you people just leave me to die?...I'm only going to wind up slowing you down...". "Well, the thought had crossed our minds..but...it probably would have been more of a burden to let you die than to save you..besides..I'm pretty sure Alex over there couldn't deal with the shock." said john. "Well..it doesn't matter...were ALL going to die here anyway..." said David, setting his head back down on the floor "We might as well just shoot ourselves...this place is going to kill us all..". Before anyone could try to contradict David, a loud crash and screaming came from beyond the door. "Oh great...NOW WHAT.." said David, finally pulling himself into a sitting position and raising his revolver at the door.

Infinity-X

Alex tried to get David to relax. She didn't now what was happening behind that door, but she knew something was wrong.

"I have to go see what's going on!"

Alex got up to go to the door. David didn't exactly want her to go. Alex walked towards the door. She took a deep breath and opened it. Vanessa and Winsor were trying to avoid some creature.

"Oh My God!"

Alex said while pulling out her handgun. She looked at the beast and went to shoot.

"Your kidding! come on, come on!"

she said. The gun was empty, Alex backed up against the door. She tried to open it, but somehow the door got locked. She started to breathe heavily. The beast then saw her, it started to walk towards her. Winsor and Vanessa ran to the other side of the room. Alex, now also trying to avoid it, ended up over by the other 2.They were cornered....

"Hee..hee.....looks like I couldn't help much after all...great..we're gonna die, just wonderful.."

Winsor gave Alex the snotty loom she always gave her and then Vanessa spoke up,

"On the count of 3, lets all scream HELP! Ok?"

The creature continued towards the 3 girls, Winsor looked at Vanessa with a puzzled look...

"You're serious?!?!..Ok.."

Winsor said and rolled her eyes.

David was getting concerned. Jarred was too, he didn't want anything to happen to Vanessa. All the sudden they heard a loud scream.

"Wow! That was loud!"

said David not thinking that something was wrong. He started to laugh quietly. The rest of them just looked at David with a strange look. Jarred stood up and then spoke,

"Why are you laughing?!?! Something's wrong!" 


	26. Ryan's Day Gets Worse

Dr.William Birkin

David painfully stood up, the adrenaline and blood rushing through his wounded body, he couldn't stand the thought of one of those monstrosities getting at Alex. Opening the door, he swung his flashlight beam wildly around the dimly lit hallway, searching for the source of the screams. And then he saw it...hunched over, and resembling an insect, it skittered at Vanessa, Alex, and Winsor. "DAMNIT...WHAT THE HELL IS THAT..." he said, aiming his revolver at the figure terrorizing the three. Firing twice, he grazed the monsters leg with a bullet. The creature yelled a panic cry, and began tearing down the hallway, noticing David, John, Ryan, and Jarred, and driven into a killing frenzy by the smell of David's exposed wound. "YEAH, YOU WANT SOME OF THIS YOU GOD DAMN SON OF A BITCH! WELL COME AND GET IT YOU FREAK.." screamed David, wildly firing and thumbing the hammer back on the single action army.

Thudding and crashing echoed from the ventilation systems above..the wounded screams of the creature had alerted others of its kind. They were hungry, and they were coming....

Jill Valentine

The four youths gazed endlessly at the trail of tinted-green blood that trickled from one side to the other. David gently knelt down, rubbing the blood between his fingers, an expressionless gaze remaining on his strong, broad face.

"Let's get out of here," he suddenly announced peering up at the ventilation warren that channeled along the upper side of the pale mustard ceiling.

Alex nodded in agreement, as she slowly crept out of the narrow hallway, Winsor and Vanessa following right behind her.

"Are you guys alright? Did you find anything?" Ryan asked, looking up from his crouched position next to John, Nathan, and Jarred.

"We're ok...For now..." David muttered as he stumbled over to the others.

"We didn't find anything resourceful at all!" Vanessa cried in disappointment, followed by a heavy, aggravated sigh from Winsor.

"Then...s...s..omething attacked us..and... and we nearly died...and there are more of them as well!" Alex explained, through trembling gasps of fear.

"It was US who were attacked...you just stood there...not forgetting to mention your knight in shining armor here, who saved you.."

Winsor senselessly blurted out the words, noticing a hurt expression appear on Alex's face.

"It's ok she doesn't mean it Alex..." Vanessa said, lightly patting her on the shoulder.

Suddenly, a majestic shriek pierced the silence of the cold dark room. Before they could hesitate to flee to safety, a large creature vastly swooped down from the ceiling, making a sickening thud at it's heavy landing. It raised it's mutated arms in a forceful sense of anger, another high pitched screech erupting from it's large mutated body.

"Oh...my...fucking..god..."Ryan muttered to himself, his facial expression the same as the other horrified expressions that stared on at the creature.

"RUN!!!" John yelled, being the first to flee the scene.

The others didn't hesitate to follow, Ryan being the last to exit the room, as he allured the others to safety.

The creature continued to follow them, quickening it's pace as Ryan was the last to exit the room.

"Ahhh!!! Get the fuck off me!" came a painful cry from Ryan as the creature hooked it's long sharp claw onto Ryan's arm.

Like the instant Human reflex, Nathan courageously turned back, releasing several shots into the creatures arm; detaching it from the rest of it's body. With the claw still hooked in Ryan's arm, Nathan grabbed the lifeless mutated arm, and vigorously tore it from Ryan's arm.

Screeching in pain, Ryan thanked Nathan for his heroic save. Jarred headed towards the elevator, desperately trying to hold open the double doors for Ryan and Nathan to enter.

"Hurry up guys I can't hold this thing open for much longer!" Jarred yelled. John positioned himself in between the thick metal doors, the weight and strength of his body struggling to keep the elevator open.

"Hurry!!"

Ryan and Nathan narrowly slipped into the lift, as it began to head up to the third floor...

Carlos Oliveira

~ping~

Came the sound as the lift opened at the third floor.

"Ok. What's the big plan now?" asked John.

"Have no idea." responded Jarred.

"Ryan are you ok?" asked Nathan.

"Yeah I'm cool." he answered.

"Ok but if you start to feel anything differently let me know ok? It means you'll need some of this..." said Nathan holding up the syringe.

Walking out the group marched slowly down the hallway looking for a way out. Nathan was getting tired. The blood loss didn't help and neither did the morphine. Walking slowly ahead of the others he scanned the halls with his tac lights from both 9mm's.

Ryan was right next to him with David and Alex behind. Vanessa and Winsor behind them with Jarred and John pulling up the rear.

"All clear." said Nath as he swept another hallway.

"So Nath....your old man was really CIA?" asked Jarred.

"Yeah. He was."

"So what else do you know about what's going on?" asked John.

"Nothing. You guys know as much as I do now." he answered.

Ryan tugged on a door.....locked, "For a hospital they sure do lock a lot of these doors."

John's eyes searched the dark behind them, looking and listening for anything. Jarred right next to him was doing the same. He felt Vanessa's hand slip back and take hold of his giving it a reassuring squeeze before letting it go. Jarred smiled at the thought of her, but that though was cut off by Nathan's shout.

"Hey check this out!" he said pointing to another computer.

Hopping the desk Nathan landed in front with Ryan right next to him. Everyone crowded around.

"Let's see if we can't find out what's going on here. Something about the hospital isn't right!" said Ryan as he and Nath started to pull up files on the computer.

Joker

As Ryan checked over the wounds he had taken during the course of this ordeal, he had reached an obvious conclusion in his mind.

"This is not my day."

Ryan watched as Nathan worked furiously at the keyboard, punching up programs here, shutting down documents there. It all seemed a bit of a blur to him, almost as if Nathan knew what he was doing before he did it. That struck Ryan as odd, no matter what government agency Nathan worked for. He wondered awkwardly if Nathan was a plant for observational purposes...

Ryan quickly shook his head to dismiss that thought.

"Since when did I become so fucking paranoid?", Ryan thought to himself angrily as he got up and started walking down the halls.

"Where are you going?", Jarred asked.

"I've got to clear my head. I'll be back", Ryan replied. Technically, it was true. He did want to clear his head, but he also wanted to check the place out a little more and it wasn't worth endangering anyone else. Besides, he could only be wounded so much, right?

Jarred considered objecting, but thought better of it.

"Well, don't go too far. We have to stick together here...", Jarred called after him, but Ryan was already focused on the halls.

With Beretta held low, Ryan wandered around the halls for a moment, wondering if any of the dark denizens had infiltrated this bastion of safety.

----------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Nathan's hacking skills were the center of attention.

Encrypted... Enter 5 digit access code... Access denied... Access denied... Access granted... Security Level Alpha in effect...

The jargon flew across the screen like a spiel from a tele-marketer, extraneous and uninformative to someone who doesn't know much about the product. But Nathan knew enough about the product to realize maybe he wanted what this computer was selling...

After some decryption, the memo read...

Memo

Date: 18 Apr 2001

To: Hospital Administrator Jerome Horton

From: Director of Security Brian Markenson

Subject: Codename: Reciprocity

We have received word that some of your staff have been somewhat inquisitive of our activities. Need I remind you that this operation is of the highest classification? Dispose of these threats immediately, but be sure to cover any trace of a link to our corporation, otherwise we will ensure you find out how it is done first-hand.

Attachment: List.txt

Nathan checked the memo attachment. It appeared to have been edited since it was sent, almost as if someone had been keeping a tally of how many on the list were killed and when.

Subjects marked for termination:

José Ortéga (DECEASED: 19 Apr 2001)

Peter Robertson (DECEASED: 19 Apr 2001)

Terry McNamara (DECEASED: 20 Apr 2001)

...

----------------------------------------

Ryan continued looking, seeing nothing unusual, or at least on the provision that seeing patients and staff alike with blood-sprayed apparel was not unusual. What was unusual, however, was the distinct lack of any movement. Ryan laughed softly at that idea.

"I know I'm being paranoid now. I'm expecting corpses to move..."

----------------------------------------

The list went on until Nathan spotted a familiar name.

...

Joanna Bartlett (DECEASED: 22 Apr 2001)

...

"Bartlett?", Nathan thought, realizing Ryan's family name...

"If Ryan knew about this, he'd go insane and I'm not sure he needs a lot of help there...", John quipped.

"Still, does he even have any idea? Maybe it's best not to say anything", Alex suggested.

"If it were up to me, I'd tell him. He has a right to know", came an unexpected reply from Winsor. The group looked at her, stunned, wondering whether she actually gave a damn about something for the first time since she joined them or if she just wanted to have a front-row seat in case Ryan lost it.

At that point, Ryan returned to find a lot of people looking at him, not knowing what to say.

Noticing the awkward moment, Ryan said light-heartedly, "What? Did I miss something?"

As the group continued to look at him awkwardly, Ryan realized there was something wrong. He reiterated the observation in his mind...

"This is not my day..."


	27. Scattered Into The Park's Darkness

Dr.William Birkin

David watched the computer intently, scanning every word he read for any mention of the secretive "observer" teams Markenson had set up. Just keep calm....and pray to god nothing involving your name shows up..they still don't suspect anything... , thought David, his eyes slowly beginning to develop a more and more nervous look to them. "Hm...looks like this guy Markenson or whatever had the whole CITY rigged with shit...the hospital...city hall...the police...hell, even the families of certain officials had some tie to them...how the hell deep does this all go?!" remarked Nathan, still scanning through every available file. "A lot deeper than you'd think..." muttered David, nervously glancing over to the others. "Huh? Dave? Did you say something?" said Jarred. "Hmm? Uh..no..no nothing...". Ryan then walked in, the group turned to him, ready to deliver the news they had just received Good....they're not paying attention... ,David's mind was now racing on how to get out of this before they found out just how much he knew about the situation. "Uh...guys...I'm going to check if there's anything useful on this level..looks like administrative offices..there could be a phone...or....uh...something..." said David, already half out the door when he finished his sentence. He then quickly moved down the hallway, hoping they'd just abandon their search and leave. "What was his problem?" remarked Ryan as David walked past with a very paranoid look..

"Sir! Sir I'm reading a breach in one of the security systems..it...looks like its coming from the hospital!", the remark from the soldier monitoring the communications network prompted Markenson to turn from the monitors, the makeshift command center that his office had become was softly illuminated by the emergency lighting and the pale glow of at least 50 television monitors, each set to a different camera. "What?! Isolate it...we may very well have found them!", Markenson's formerly agitated demeanor was becoming very optimistic at the recent turn of events, switching one of the monitors to the third level of the hospital, he observed the survivors huddled around the screen. "Damnit..one clean up troop, gone...those scuttling freaks that Piers PROMISED would work, dead...and now there about to find everything out! These people just don't know how to die!". A furious rage had been building inside of the security director since the moment he had seen the group exit the school facility, and now that fury had consumed him, slamming his fist down onto an intercom button, he screamed in a harsh voice "ALRIGHT, THIS IS MARKENSON, ALL CLEANER TROOPS ARE TO REPORT TO THE HOSPITAL AREA, I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE TO BURN THAT DAMNED PLACE TO THE GROUND, I WANT THOSE LITTLE BUSTARDS DEAD! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!!!!!!!".

The night just kept getting worse..and now it was really about to go to hell.

Jill Valentine

"Ryan..."came Nathan's sincere tone. "I have some bad news for you...."

Ryan's face grew pale and expressionless, as he prepared himself to hear the bad news. He closed his eyes, running his fingers through his rough golden brown hair, twitching his fingers with anxiety.

"It's about Joanna Barlett...she was involved in the experiment...she was killed.."

Ryan's mind was struck by the words, although sympathetically sincere, he couldn't find a way to hold back his emotions. He quickly wiped the tears from his eyes, for he didn't want the others to see him cry, as it would defy every trace of his masculinity.

"Are you going to be alright?" Alex asked, staring at Ryan, catching her reflection in his tearful green eyes.

"Yeah..." he answered, turning away as he headed towards the hospital's back exit."let's get out of here shall we?"

The others had recognized his trembling tone; he was not taking this situation particularly well.

"Yes." Jarred began placing a firm sympathetic grip on Ryan's shoulder."We shall head off to the City park. We can find weapons and ammunition at the Park Shed..."

"Well let's go then, what have we got to loose?" John cried, following after Ryan.

"Everything..." David muttered, a sly grin sliding across his face.

---------------------------------------

-November 26th, 2001, 9p.m.-

Darkness took over the deserted streets of the City. The silver beam of the moon shone over the miraculous limestone statue of the former Mayor in 1983, Kevin Bryant. It was situated in the center of the City park, flourishing in power and radiance. There was a silent hum of cicada's dwelling on in the background, and the harmonic swash of a stream could be heard in the distance. A rusty metallic creak of the Park gate interrupted the peaceful silence that had settled there, as the seven youths entered with extreme caution.

"The storage shed should be at the back here," came Nathan's confident, fearless tone. "Let's get this shit over and done with..."

-----------------------------

-Not far away.....-

A low, monstrous growl erupted from the Isis mutation, known as the Nemesis, MA3456 . It sleekly emerged from the ever-green trees that surrounded it in the peaceful, scenic forest, which lay 100m off the city borderline, responding to the joyous cries of humans in the distance. It was determined to terminate any living organism; it felt no sorrow, no pain, not even anger ; and nothing would stop it. Nothing...

Carlos Oliveira

Stepping into the Park Nathan noticed the layout from a map he saw when he was captured by Piers.

"Guys I have to go check some thing out I'll be right back ok?" stated Nathan.

Ryan spoke up for the first time since leaving the hospital,.."Wait! I'll go with you."

"What do you need to check on?" asked Jarred.

"Just something I saw when Piers had me in that cell....Trust me just wait here and I'll be right back ok?" replied Nath.

"Ok just don't forget about us." Laughed John as Nathan and Ryan started out.

"Ok guys lets take a rest." stated Jarred as he sat on a bench.

Everyone seemed to be in their own private thoughts as David watched them all. (_God this is crazy. Wish I knew how much time we have until they send another cleaner crew after us._) he thought to himself.

Nathan and Ryan walked slowly towards a small set of stairs leading to a small gazebo. Nathan looked over his shoulder to Ryan and finally let out a sigh and stopped. Turning around, he faced Ryan.

"Ok! Out with it!"

"What? Out with what?" he replied.

"Why did you come with me? You could've stayed there with everyone and had some moral support but your here why?" asked Nathan.

"I....it's just..." he started.

"Ok Ryan...I know it's not the best time to ask this but...are you ok?"

"No." he replied flatly.

"I wanted to ask you how you deal with you father not being alive?"

"Ah! I see. Well It's not easy but I tell you looking out for you guys sure does help." he joked "Honestly Ryan...It hurts like hell man...especially cuz I shot him myself, but you know what my old man is always telling me?"

"What's that?"

"The only sovereign you can allow to rule you is reason. It's a one time motto that I've lived by." answered Nathan.

"I see. Thanks......so why are we out here again?" Ryan asked peering at Nathan.

"I need to check something out. Remember when we were in the hospital and you left to 'clear you head'?"

"Yeah?"

"Well I was looking on the comp. I saw a file on David. I quickly skipped it in-case it was bad news too but something in my gut told me it wasn't,...that it is more important. There's a hidden room under this gazebo and there is a computer there...I wanted to find out what I could before we went any further."

"How do you know about the room?" Ryan asked skeptically.

"I've got a photographic memory....I saw a map when I was captured by Piers." Nathan answered.

"Ok then lets check it out!" stated Ryan.

After a brief search they found the opening in the floor and pried it open. Nathan searched the room underneath them with his tac light before dropping down. Ryan followed Nath into the hole. When he touched the ground inside he took a look around noticing that this place was wired for some sort of communications relay.

"Ok I've found a computer,...lets see what it has to say...." said Nathan as he sat down and turned on a computer. The Computer was filed with encrypted files. After a few blocks he came to one more serious looking, and started working his magic....High level area security delta, zulu, tango,.....________.....please enter SC to continue...........Access Denied.........Access Denied......Access Granted........Operatives:.........David Sunderland: Immediate Termination of David S.....File Closed From Source!.....ALERT.....ALERT......ALERT......

"What the Fuck!?!" was all Nathan could get out as the screen shut off. Things were starting to make sense.

"That little son of a bitch has been playing us!!" yelled Ryan in fury.

"Lets not get all worked up Ryan,...yeah he's been playing us but!,....he also helped kill some of those soldiers....there's definitely more going on here. Lets keep this to ourselves until we get back and them we'll talk to him alone just me you and him ok?" stated Nathan.

"Alright." said Ryan with a slight nod, his expression deadly serious.

"ARRRRRGGGGGHHH" was all the warning they had as the Nemesis came into view stalking towards them.

"Oh SHIT!! RUN!!" screamed John as he started firing at the creature. Vanessa and Jarred started running as David grabbed Alex's hand and rushed off in another direction.

"Wait!! David we can't leave them!" pleaded Alex.

"If we stay here we are dead understand now keep quiet and follow me!!" he yelled as they tore through he park.

John Blasted the creature a few more times before taking off after Jarred. He felt the air next to his head part and on pure instinct dove to the side. The explosion was deafening.

"SHIT IT'S FUCKIN' ARMED!!!" screamed Jarred.

With Vanessa slightly ahead Jarred grabbed John's hand and stared running after her. Together the three stumbled through the trees and into darkness. Nemesis had returned....

Together they both turned towards the sound of the explosion.

"What the fuck was that?" asked Ryan.

"I don't want to know but we better get back to them!" yelled Nathan already pulling himself up through the hole. Reaching down he helped haul Ryan up. Stopping suddenly they both looked around.

"Don't even think about it kid!" stated a man in uniform.

"Shit. I think we're screwed." stated Ryan as he took in the soldiers surrounding them.

Nathan looked over his shoulder and saw the railing behind them. Keeping his voice low he whispered,..."Follow my lead."

Holding up his hands Nathan started talking...."Whoa hold on a sec man we're on your side don't shoot!" Nathan started backing up slowly and Ryan followed suit. Feeling himself hit the railing Nathan stopped. The soldiers started walking towards them. "NOW!" yelled Nathan as he grabbed Ryan's coat and pulled him over the railing. Together they fell hitting the ground hard and up and running as fast as they could. Ducking behind two trees they took aim and started firing. Nathan wondered if they had killed the others.

"Fuck this Nath! I'm not letting them get away with this!"

"Your right Ryan! Let's finish these bastards!"

With a nod from both men they started firing....one way or another these soldiers were about to seriously reconsider their profession.....


	28. The Minions Of The Night

Dr.William Birkin

David ran to a line of trees, the semi automatic kicking in his right hand with every shot fired at the howling monstrosity known as the nemesis. Stopping when they were out of sight of the creature, David looked at Alex, his eyes staring deep into hers. "Look...Alexandra....I...I know this'll probably sound like an odd thing to say when were about to die..but...I haven't ever felt about anyone the way I feel about you..you're the first person I've ever trusted...ever given a damn about...and I don't want to lose you...now, very soon..you'll probably be hearing something about my past..something that will probably enrage you...something that I'm deeply sorry for..but just remember...I do care..." David said, gathering his breath again and checking the ammo left in his pistol. Alex just looked at him, unsure of what to say next..and then finally the silence was broken.."David..what do you mean your past? What is it?." And a smile, a twisted, sly grin formed over his face, "You'll see...wouldn't wanna spoil the fun for you now would I?" he said, and then began to run off, crouched behind the benches and small trees lining the path. "DAVID! WAIT..WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" yelled Alex, not wanting to see him harmed again after the hospital shooting. "Me? Oh...um..let's just say I've got some unfinished business to settle." Before she could stop him, he was already halfway gone. The cleaner soldiers thought they had backed the survivors into a corner...and maybe they were right...but David was determined to show them that this would not be another piece of cake mission for them to just blast their way through....

City of the Dead

John, Jarred, and Vanessa ran as fast as they could down a huge set of cement stairs. They heard the thunderous beating of the monster's footsteps behind them. Jarred didn't know the park too well, but he had recognized his surroundings, the stairs lead to an old stone bridge that stood over a dry area, and just ahead of the bridge was the Doyle ice skating pond, a popular spot for tourists and citizens alike.

"Perfect" Jarred said stepping out onto the bridge. "Hey guys, get off of the bridge" Jarred yelled pointing towards the wet dirt under it.

John quickly hopped off of the bridge and landed hard onto the ground below, the fall was a lot farther than it looked.

"Lets go" Vanessa said taking Jarred's hand.

"Vanessa, get as far away from here as you can" Jarred said letting go of her.

"What?" She asked.

"Vanessa...If I don't make it back" Jarred started.

The roar of the nemesis grew closer. Jarred shot a glance towards the clearing in the trees and saw the creature's threatening appearance.

"I love you" Jarred had finally told her the way he felt.

Before Vanessa could react, Jarred shoved her over the bridge and she fell into John's arms.

"No, What are you doing?" She yelled towards Jarred up on the bridge.

"Come on Vanessa, lets go" John said running down the wide dirt path, dragging her along.

She reluctantly ran away with John, replaying Jarred's words in her mind.

The nemesis slowly approached the lone survivor, holding a huge weapon that Jarred now knew was a rocket launcher.

"Come on you stitched up piece of shit" Jarred yelled backing up towards the ice pond.

The monster let out a low roar and proceeded towards the young survivor.

Jarred had a plan, it was a risky as hell plan, but it was all he could come up with. It was about time he put his aim to the test.

As he backed away, the monster was now directly in the middle of the stone bridge. Jarred saw the creature draw his weapon, his cue to react.

"Come on, come on, come on" Jarred whispered aiming the Glock towards the barrel of the launcher.

The nemesis cocked his weapon and Jarred fired one shot at the target, a deafening explosion signaled that his plan was a success. The bullet tore into the barrel and blew up the missile inside the weapon. The nemesis staggered backwards, its head and right arm ablaze, the fire crackled as the Nemesis screamed in pain. Jarred smiled and took out the MP5-K assault rifle.

"You want a piece of this?" Jarred said, hammering round after round into the beast.

The creature stumbled backwards, recoiling from the blaze and the bullets.

"Ha ha, not so tough now are we?" Jarred laughed, still firing into it's massive abdomen.

The creature raised its head to the sky and let out a painful cry, and then fell to the ground. Jarred walked up to the corpse and unloaded on it even more. Purple fluids oozed from each newly formed wound as Jarred held down the trigger tightly, not stopping until he heard the clicking of the gun. Once satisfied with the bleeding, fiery corpse that laid at his feet. Jarred sat down on the stone Bridge's railing with a gigantic grin on his face. He had never felt this good in his life.

Markenson searched the city's surveillance monitors. He was getting really frustrated, Nathan and the brother of Joanna Bartlett were holding off the cleaner troops.

"What a bunch of disappointments" He angrily said.

He decided to check the small camera that was mounted inside the Nemesis' only eye. Markenson typed in the code for the camera and looked onto the black and white image. He gasped as he saw the face of "the potential" staring back at him, he believed the his name was Jarred Orr.

"Hey, you in there, whoever is in control of this thing, I would just like to give a big...Fuuuuuuuuuuckkkkk yoouuu to you and yours" The words of the potential boiled Markenson's blood.

"Heh heh, your Nemesis thing wasn't that much of a challenge, in fact, pretty much your whole little army isn't much of a challenge either, I know you can see me in there, how does it feel to be beaten by a bunch of kids?" The boy laughed.

Markenson slammed his fist down on the desk as he watched the potential mock him. He angrily thought about having the boy killed anyway. Jarred's blood type and genetic structure were probably the rarest in the country. Markenson didn't know much about Blair's research but he did know that in order for the ME3456 to work.

Markenson got up from the desk, still hearing Jarred's taunts screaming over the speakers. His anger quickly turned to a maniacal happiness as he poured himself some coffee.

"Can't wait to see what Blair's gonna make out of you, boy" Markenson said looking at the monitors.

The ME3456 was an experimental variation of the virus that greatly increased a human's stamina, speed, and strength. He remembered that Piers told him the injection was still in it's experimental stages, but would only work on a person with a specific genetic structure and blood type, and it looked like this Jarred Orr individual was the one they were looking for.

"Laugh it up you little shithead" Markenson said to the monitor. He didn't even bother to check the status of the Cleaners, more than likely they were already dead...

Claire Redfield

With only the leaves moving in the tree, Winsor continued to read a book. She didn't know the title, but she just needed something to do right now. She was about 10 feet from the ground on a sturdy branch and although heights didn't scare her, the silence did.

__

Once again peace in mind. I'm alone.

She was the last to follow in the group and it was surprisingly easy to sneak away. She quietly walked to a different direction. They didn't notice and she didn't care. She just had to leave and try to think about things on her mind. Mostly everyone of the survivors now.

Jarred was a leader or it seemed that way. He always seemed to be sincere and it was obvious that he liked Vanessa. There was a change in him; he used to be a person that was often teased, but now he is actually a reliable person. There was nothing else to say about him except the fact that he is the only one that didn't get pissed off at Winsor or threatened her...

John was an asshole to her. She knew that he was a person devoted to friendship and that he did some sort of extreme sport. She didn't care what happens to him. He almost shot her. Pitying someone like that is as useless as giving a dead man an aspirin. He has too much emotional issues...

Nathan was....he was someone very odd to her. He seemed to be alone, despite the fact that he was popular. There was something about him that and Winsor wasn't sure about the feeling. Mutual? She was scared of the feeling. She was someone who had a heart of stone. She didn't care about anyone or anything. Being alone made her feel free. Yet somehow Nathan was free as well...

Winsor shook her head and put the book away. It was a zombie novel, of all things. Anything in that book was pure fiction. She was living in non-fiction now. She continued to think about the others.

Vanessa was a bitch at times. Winsor heard that she was weird. If she was weird then Winsor would be considered normal. Vanessa was one of those odd popular students, the ones that were popular in school by doing stuff oddly, but that wasn't weird to Winsor at all. Vanessa seemed also like a person determined to make friends...

Ryan was definitely someone that Winsor admired for their foolishness. He believed that everything was good in times of a crisis. Everyone needed something to believe in, even if it was a futile as that. He was also smart and spoke the same language to her, even if it was disses and sarcastic remarks...

David was...there was something odd about him. Winsor knew he was hiding something, but she couldn't tell. He was a freak.

Alex was someone that Winsor felt sorry for. Alex looked like on of those lost in a place that they shouldn't be. She also was a klutz, one that could very well get others killed. But Winsor would never tell Alex that she didn't hate her...

__

No, I can't tell anyone about my feelings. So many years of building up an immunity to these people and now I feel like I'm breaking down.

A noise from below her and she looked under it. John and Vanessa were there out of breath.

__

God is smiting me today. I just know it. 

"We have to keep going," John rasped.

"No. Jarred. We have to wait for him," Vanessa said.

"He's probably dead," John said a little louder than before.

__

And me without popcorn to watch such a soap opera unfold....pffftt hate soap operas anyway.

To intervene or not to intervene was something Winsor was thinking when she saw out of the corner of her eye a flashlight. It came from far away, but she knew that it was the others.

__

The shooters. Dammit.

If the others couldn't hide they would be seen. Shot or worse, especially since they were under her tree they might see her too.

"Hey," she whispered loudly and was rewarded with the upward looks of John and Vanessa. "Not to alarm you two, but the bad guys are coming. This is the time to hide. Either climb in this tree or another. Just do it now."

The flashlight beam was getting closer.


	29. Runners And Stalkers

Dr.William Birkin

The gunshot echoed down the path, and was followed by the thud of yet another cleaner operative falling dead on the cold stone walkway. David stood above him, the semi automatic still smoking in his hand, as he slid another clip into the handgun. He had killed three of the soldiers now, Two of them had been taken by complete surprise, the third one he had been forced to chase down. "Incompetents..." he muttered and began walking down the brick walkway, one of many that laced the park. He was heading back to where the group had split up, hoping to god they'd found each other. And if they haven't...what if I'm the only one left? That thing with the rocket launcher doesn't seem like the type to die when its most convenient... , ignoring his own cynicism, he stopped hearing a heated firefight near the gazebo. Ducking behind a bench he waited until most of the cleaner troops were dead before standing up and slowly beginning to walk over. And then he heard it, the sound of 3 mp5a2 bolts being slammed closed, a flashlight suddenly covered him in a bright, harsh glow. "HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM...", David turned "Oh SHIT" was all he could think to say..the three soldiers kept their aim as he dropped his pistol and kicked it over to them, his hands raised. "Well well well...if it isn't the traitor...Markenson's gonna have a field day with you...". And a sharp blow to the back of the head from the butt of a gun knocked David unconscious. "Sir...we have him." the soldier said into his radio...the final conscious thought David had was that if the others didn't get there quickly..he was as good as dead.

Jill Valentine

Vanessa and John didn't hesitate to follow Winsor's suggestion. For once, it had seemed that she was showing a great deal of consideration for them; in comparison to the cold heart that she had initially introduced them to....

"Hurry they're coming," Winsor urged them, pulling John up into the tree. "Shit that was close..."

"Where's Jarred?" Vanessa whispered seeing the expression of both John and Winsor bearing the same distress.

"Sorry to say, but he's probably dead..." John replied, with deep sincerity in his voice.

"No," Vanessa immediately responded. "He can't be. He promised he'd make it out with us, alive..."

Winsor sighed, looking at Vanessa in sympathy; not actually for Vanessa herself, but for her pathetic little drama act that she was playing to get attention.

"We'll look for him later ok? There's a 60% chance he's still alive, so don't get to involved it's not 'The Bold and the Beautiful, you know!"

Vanessa glared back at Winsor through saddened, yet strong eyes as she turned away, despite the fact Winsor was trying to comfort her.

John chuckled lightly to himself.

"Shh...they are here..."

Peering down at the organized line of troops marching below them, John, Winsor and Vanessa held their breaths.

"LINE 105 TO AREA A43, AND LINE 106 TO AREA A46!" came a distinct, military bellow from one of the commanding officers.

"Yes sir!" simultaneously responded the straight line of troops. As the military group disappeared into the darkness, John signaled for their safety to climb down from the tree.

"We'll go find Jarred now, alright?" John began, leading the way down the dusty forest trail. "He'll on the stone bridge..."

-------------------

-15 minutes later-

The three youths had safely arrived at the stone bridge. They had seen no sign of Jarred yet, but Vanessa was determined to find him.

"Jarred?!! Where are you!?" came the numerous calls from the three. "Jarred?! Come out come out where ever you are!!!?"

Suddenly a grasp tightened around Vanessa's wrist and pulled her into a dark narrow corridor under the bridge. Before she could scream, she heard the distinct voice of Jarred calm her down.

"Shh, it's me.." he said gradually releasing his grip around her wrists and turning her around to face him. "You okay?"

Vanessa nodded lightly, pulling her arms around him in a warm embrace; she was glad to see that he was still alive.

"Are you?"

"Yeah. I killed that Nemesis creature." he replied confidently."but we now have to find Nathan and Ryan, but-"

"Jarred..." Vanessa interrupted.

Her tiger green eyes gazed into his. She knew that it wasn't exactly the most desirable place or time to probably be doing this. She felt her heart beginning beat a little faster and she found herself comfortable, yet stronger than before.

Jarred looked back into her eyes and slowly their bodies leaned forward toward each other. Slowly, yet gently, they both tilted their heads, closing their eyes, not seeing, but knowing, what each other's actions would be. They were now so close that their could feel each other's breath wash over them. And then they finally made their move. A move so bold and brave by two people, yet so touching.

"Hey check it out John!" interrupted Winsor, deliberately approaching the two during their intimate moment. "Jarred's giving Vanessa Mouth to Mouth resuscitation!"

John burst into laughter, shortly after Winsor had discovered the two making out in that quiet, dark little corner.

"Why don't I just stick a pen in my eye..." Vanessa cried, throwing her hands up in an aggravated gesture. "What is the world coming to?"

City of the Dead

"Okay, seriously though, I knew something was going on with you two" John laughed.

"Yeah, well its none of your business so go fuck yourself" Vanessa yelled in agitation.

"So, um, Jarred, you won against the Nemesis right? I mean, its not coming back again is it?" John asked.

"Heh heh, I seriously doubt its going to be going anywhere, didn't you see it lying on the bridge?" Jarred asked.

"No, just some burning leather" John said.

John's words quickly knocked the grin off of Jarred's face.

__

It couldn't still be alive, I watched it burn, I tore out it's eye and ripped the stitches that laced the left side of it's head, it bled all over the friggin' place, no way that thing could still be alive.

"Didn't you see it walk away or something?" Winsor asked.

"Well, I went looking for you guys for a while but then came back here" Jarred said. "Oh well, don't worry about it, even if it is still alive, it's missing a few vital organs"

David awoke to the sound of moving tires and wind. He was inside a military jeep, he could barely see out of the window, but the view was enough to tell him that he was still in the downtown vicinity, must have been out for about ten minutes. His vision cleared and he took in his surroundings. His hands were bound together with duct tape and he couldn't move.

__

Probably somewhere around Cherry street.

He remembered his map well, and knew that there was a winding path that could be taken straight from the park to Cherry street, leading to where Markenson was probably hiding.

Should have known Markenson was commanding Operation Sliver.

He didn't know much about Markenson. David talked to him about assignments and the like, but Markenson was always reserved and never said anything unless it was regarding business.

"What the hell?" David heard one of the guards up front say.

RRRAAAAAGHHHHH!!!

An ungodly shriek came from outside.

"HOLY SHIT!!!" The guards yelled as David felt an incredible force knock over the jeep. In an instant, the vehicle was upside down. David was knocked out onto the cold asphalt of the city streets. The tape around David's wrists was incredibly loose.

"AGHHHHHH!!!!!" He yelled, using all his strength to break free from his restraints.

__

What the hell did that? Couldn't have been the gravediggers, oh my god...

David stood amongst blazing mangled vehicles and dead bodies. A creature about the size of a semi-truck was tearing into the camouflage vehicles up ahead, gunshots from automatics and screams came from the guards who ran around it, trying to either escape or kill the thing. It almost looked like a dinosaur, with its lizard like features.

"What the hell?" David said to himself.

It ran on two legs and sported two small arms around the mid torso, it's body was covered in red veins and green reptilian skin. David took his eyes off the beast for a minute and saw a gray suitcase with a sticker on the side that read "Sunderland".

"Hell yeah" David said eyeing the case, it had to be the stuff they took off of him.

With a quick sprint, he leapt onto the road and grabbed the suitcase. All of a sudden, the roars and screams stopped and David raised up to see the large creature, about fifty feet away, curiously staring at him.

"Oh dear god" David whispered.

David stared back at the colossal beast, taking in huge gulps of air as he tried to devise a plan. He glanced to the left and saw Alice's Bridal Boutique.

"Here goes nothing" He said out loud, making his move.

David and the monster took off at the same time, he ran over to the sidewalk, while the monster closed in on him. With a quick breath, he leapt towards the window of the bridal store swinging the metal suitcase into the glass, slamming himself through the window. He knocked over a mannequin in a wedding dress.

__

Now if I remember, Alice's was on the right side of cherry, so there should be an alley behind this place that will take me to Mulberry street, so if I gun it past there, I can probably make it back to the park before that thing sees me.

David ran past the wedding dresses, his muddy boots staining the red carpet. He darted past the counter and sped out the back, suddenly colliding with a zombie, or at least he thought it was a zombie, couldn't tell in the dark alley, but the following moans confirmed his theory. He ran past the zombie and headed back towards the park, desperately hoping that lizard wasn't going to be in the way...

"What the hell was that?" Markenson yelled. The scenes on the monitor were horrific, the captured David Sunderland had escaped and nearly half of the cleaners were just killed by...Something.

"I'm going to put a bullet right between Piers' eyes" Markenson said loudly.

As far as he was concerned, Piers was a liar, if he knew about those lizard things, then he should have said something. Markenson knew that Piers loved his creations like children, but they were now interfering with the operations.

"I'll bet you that lizard is what took out the men in the park as well" Markenson said to himself "Another thing that could have been prevented if Piers didn't get a boner for his damn monsters" Things were not going well at all.

Markenson laid his head on the table and heard the door to the surveillance room open.

"Speak of the devil" Markenson yelled, staring at the figure in the doorway.

"Anything new?" The obvious voice of Piers enraged Markenson immensely.

Markenson ran over to the man and grabbed him tightly by his coat, swinging him against the wall.

"What the hell is your problem?" Piers yelled.

"You're my problem, why didn't you tell me about those gigantic lizard things?" Markenson hollered, spitting in the face of Piers.

"That is what I was stopping by to tell you, the virus has mutated local wildlife, creating new dangerous B. O. W., I can't control them" The volume of Pier's voice minimized.

"What are you trying to tell me? That there's more out there than we thought?" Markenson said loosening his grip on Piers.

"Yes, the virus affects everything in different ways; its completely unstable" Piers said straightening his coat.

Without saying anything, Markenson walked back over to the surveillance monitors and closed his eyes. Things weren't going well at all...

Carlos Oliveira

"Argh!" came the sound of another soldier being taken out. Nathan was actually starting to enjoy himself. For professional soldiers these guys were taking an ass whoopin'! Together he and Ryan had taken out about 15 guys already and for some reason they still didn't give up! For each they took out 5 replaced him,.....seems that they were bent on taking Ryan and himself out no matter what the cost!

"Shit!" came Ryan's distinct voice as he weapon clicked empty.

"Ryan I've got a plan!" ~ping~ Nathan saw a piece of tree explode a mere inch in front of him.

"What's that? I open to suggestions!" he replied.

"Take this and this!" said Nathan as he tossed his two 9's to Ryan.

Catching them he looked at Nathan,..."What for?"

"On three fire at them and don't stop ok?"

"Alright Nath I hope you know what you are doing!"

"Three!!!"

Ryan started firing immediately taking 2 out. Nathan sprung up and around the tree running the bullets hitting the ground at his feet. Diving he managed to grab the body of a man they killed who had fallen over the railing. Pulling he rolled the body onto of himself. He could feel the bullets making the body jump. There was a thud beside him. Nathan looked to see the orbs of another victim of Ryan's crack shooting. (_Good job bro!_) he thought to himself.

Searching the pockets Nathan came up with more ammo. He grabbed the soldiers rifle and another assault rifle from the fallen soldier. He slung up the two rifles and started running back. He could feel the dirt hitting his leg. (_Shit they're getting close_) he thought as he stumbled behind a tree.

"Here! Catch!" he yelled tossing Ryan some ammo for his weapon.

"Here! You catch!" yelled Ryan tossing back Nath's 9's.

Nathan smiled. He definitely like this guy. Tossing an assault rifle to Ryan he holstered the 9's and took aim with the rifle. Sighting a soldier he squeezed back the trigger only to see the man flung over the railing and down right in front of him!

"What the fuck?!!?" was all he could manage as another soldier yelled out and was flung as well.

"Shit Nath we've got trouble!!" yelled Ryan.

Nathan looked over and saw Nemesis tearing into them with a vengeance.

"Shit! RUN MAN!!" yelled Nath as he took off with Ryan right behind.

It didn't matter how far they ran they could still hear the blood curdling screams coming from the soldiers. Rounding a small building Nathan saw he was about to run into someone. Using his momentum he spun catching the figure's arm taking them with him as he fell. With the person landing on top of him he drew his 9 and flicked on the tac light revealing...Winsor staring back at him. Together they both let out a collective sigh.

"Jesus Christ! You scared the shit outta me." he whispered.

"Me? I think my heart exploded you jerk!" she replied.

Nathan laughed as she stood. Ryan reached down and helped him up.

"Jarred what are you grinning about?" Nathan asked with a small smile creeping to his face.

"Nothin', just killing Nemesis that's all." he said with a smirk.

Ryan and Nathan exchanged a look.

"Um,....hate to tell you but unless there are two of them you didn't. We just saw Nemmy tear the shit outta a cleaner team." stated Ryan.

The grin drained from Jarred's face.

"Are you ok Sam?" asked Nathan realizing he had never called her by her fist name before and immediately wishing he hadn't. He steeled himself for her witty remark or insult.


	30. Troubled Pasts, Presents, And Futures

Dr.William Birkin

David ran full speed down the path, the darkness of the surrounding woods only adding to the oppressive atmosphere of the night. The wails of the undead and the sounds of scattered gunfire and screams pierced the otherwise eerie silence. David stopped to catch his breath, now thoroughly lost. Scanning the area with his flashlight, he realized he was nearing the central area, the command center for the cleaner troops in this area of Gaines...the only sign of this command and control center were three half erected tents, a radio squealing static, and three butchered bodies. "Bastards...they finally got what they all deserved" said David, gasping for air from his mad dash across the undead haunted streets and alleyways. "NO! STAY BACK!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!", the sounds of another soldier dying made David turn his head..and he froze at the next sound. A deep, guttural, instantly recognizable roar came from behind a line of trees. Cautiously creeping through them, crouched low, trying to hide in the shadows he made his way forward. The scene of carnage broke through his hatred for the cleaner troops.

Three troops were firing with everything they had, hurling grenades out at the 8 foot tall monster that had been the nemesis. Its coat thoroughly torn, and its flesh smoking. the walking nightmare extended its arm and shot a decayed, discolored tentacle like growth into the first soldier. The sounds of ripping flesh and snapping bones were heard as the nemesis ripped into the man and hurled him into his two comrades. David retreated, running again down the path towards the entrance they had come in through. "GOD...MAKE THIS HELL END....", he was now thoroughly convinced this would be where he died, and the roars of the mutated and deformed executioner that had now finished with its victims just made him run faster.

"Piers you demented FIEND..that freakish chaser or nemesis or whatever the hell you refer to it as just went out of our control and has just torn its way through 2 patrols...the viral agent has now caused some kind of mutation in the wild life..and were actually FARTHER from capturing the targets than we were before!." screamed Markenson, glaring at Piers with intense hatred. "If we get out of this necropolis you've created alive...I'm going to make sure you're not only stripped of your position as head researcher..but so help me god I'll see to it you're LIFE ENDS AS WELL YOU MANIAC!". Piers just laughed as he watched the monitors, "People like you just don't see how brilliant this all really is...people like you wont understand the artistic licenses I've taken with the knowledge at my disposal...stupid little charlatans like yourself cant fully appreciate my legacy..." smirked Piers, as he watched the nemesis tear apart another patrol. "LEGACY?! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A SAD, PATHETIC LITTLE MAN WHO SITS IN HIS LABORATORY TRYING TO FILL SOME KIND OF INSATIABLE OBSESSION FOR GAINING CONTROL OVER DEATH ITSELF...if you ask me..the biggest security risk isn't Nathan Law..it isn't the brother of Joanna Bartlett...hell! IT ISN'T EVEN SUNDERLAND...it's you Piers...you will be the downfall of EVERYTHING WE'VE ALL WORKED FOR!! YOU MADMAN..IF THIS COMPANY GOES DOWN IM MAKING SURE YOU DIE WITH IT.." Markenson yelled across his office as Piers calmly walked out, seemingly ignoring him.

Infinity-X

"About his past.......?"

Alex said quietly to herself, she wasn't sure what to think....she did know that David was a little evil like at times. Then she thought about that guy Piers.

"....No, not David, they can't be like working together...."

she was trying to convince herself that David wasn't a bad guy.

Alex walked around a little. She needed to clear her head. She noticed that she didn't have her CD player anymore. She didn't really care. Then Alex suddenly remembered her brother....

"No, he's not dead....I hope." 

Feelings of doubt filled her head. So she tried to think of how much she had changed over the last while. Alex took out a small pic of her brother, his name was Rob and he was 16,he was the only person Alex had ever trusted.....

Then it felt like someone was watching her, she turned around to see some guy....

"Ahhh!"

The mysterious man took his assault rifle and hit Alex over the head, knocking her unconscious. She dropped the picture on the ground.

"Sir! We are bringing the girl to the lab, for the ..."

the man said walking away with an unconscious Alexandra,

"Hehheheheh,good....."

Claire Redfield

"Are you ok Sam?" asked Nathan.

"I'm in a hellhole where the dead walk, insects are huge, frogs kill, and the freak of all freaks that won't die. All in all nothing is "ok"," Winsor said, "and stick to Winsor. Only my friends call me that."

"You have friends?" John asked. He was trying to be funny.

"No, I don't. I just don't want anyone to call me by my first name," she snapped.

Jarred and Ryan could tell that there was going to be another fight and quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, back to the matter at hand, the Nemesis is probably still alive," Ryan said.

Nathan nodded. "That thing won't stop until it kills everything and us."

"So what do we do to get rid of it?" Vanessa asked. She was playing with her hair, making Winsor look away.

"I don't know," Jarred said. "We have to find the others. David and Alex ran from the Nemesis."

"What if we don't find them?" Winsor asked coldly. She wasn't sure if they were still alive, but it almost seemed likely. Almost.

"Then we'll find somewhere safe to sleep for the night. What time is it?" Nathan asked.

Ryan looked at his watch and whispered a silent curse. "My watch is broken."

"It's 1:12 in the morning," John answered.

__

Damn! I thought it was ten or eleven. Time flies when you're running for your life.

There was an awkward silence. No one knew what to do. It was not enough that David and Alex were missing and that there were zombies-

"Ok, hate to bring this up, but I have to," Winsor said, breaking the silence. Everyone turned to look at her which made her feel nervous. She hated to be the center of attention. "Where are the zombies? I mean we came from the hospital and there weren't that many."

"Maybe they're dead," John said.

No one laughed.

"Ok, let's split up again and look in different areas of the park," Jarred said. "John, you go with Winsor and head west. Ryan and Nathan, you check the north. Me and Van-"

"Oh no you don't," John said quickly. "I'm not staying with the goth while you two go somewhere alone." "Alone"was said boldly, everyone noticed.

"Hey! I'm not a goth!" Winsor said angrily.

"Could have fooled us," Nathan muttered and received a glare from Winsor. He shook his head and leaned over to John. "Why can't we leave them alone?"

"Let's just say things "heated up" when you guys were gone," John whispered. Nathan rolled his eyes.

"We're not going to do anything," Vanessa snapped.

"That's not what we seen earli-" John said, but was interrupted by Winsor.

"Would you drop it already. Let Vanessa go with Ryan or something," she spat out quickly. She was tired, hungry, and pissed. A combination that made everyone very irritable.

"Fine," Vanessa sighed.

"Ok, Winsor why don't you go with Nathan and I'll go with Jarred," John said.

There was a quick nod between everyone and soon they parted in different directions in search of David and Alex.

__

If not Vanessa, then Nathan. Gee, when you're supposedly hate everyone you never seem to find the right person to be with.

They walked west of the park, searching for anyone or anything, taking precautions if the shooters came back.

"You're probably having a field day. You got hooked up with me," Nathan said and smiled at her.

Somehow it almost made her smile. "A field day is when there is fun...and this sucks."

__

But at least I'm around you....


	31. Accounting Memories

Dr.William Birkin

"No....". David's slumped form sat deathly still above a 9mm pistol and a few droplets of blood. He had returned to where he left Alex, only to find these two signs that she was gone. He had been sitting there for what seemed like forever, staring in horror and shock at the possibility she had been killed. No...she cant be dead....no...wait...the cleaner troops....shit...that means Markenson and Piers have her..and that means... . David stood up quickly, loading his pistol and walking towards the exit, his mind in a confused state of fear and rage. A part of him was telling him to stay, and to wait for the others, but another, more vocal part was telling him that the others didn't give a damn whether he lived or died..and that spending any more time around them than necessary was just a big risk. Hearing familiar voices, he turned and saw two figures approaching. "Winsor? Nathan?" he said, not loud enough to be heard, he was fairly sure it was them but would take no chances. Scooping up Alexandra's discarded 9mm, a Beretta 92fs "elite" model. Holding it in his left hand and the browning hi-power in his right, he aimed them both at the pair, swearing that if it was a pair of those damned troops that he would make their last moments painful....incredibly painful...

Markenson walked into the cold, dark room. The only illumination a single bulb hanging over the table. A soldier guarded the door and Piers stood in a corner tapping a needle with a greenish fluid in it. "Well well well...if this isn't the girl that David would betray us for...not much is she Piers? Just another transient human...destined to die...". Piers shrugged "If you'd have given me the choice...I'd make sure she didn't come out of here as a human...", his laughter was stifled by Markenson. "NO...we need her alive and completely uninfected to be of use to us!" he said, pointing at Alexandra's slouched form, propped up in a chair underneath the bulb. "You may begin the..'mental restructuring' when the interrogation has finished..I want her alive...I want Sunderland to see what we can do to her...I want him to beg for her life...we need her alive if we are to properly teach the proverbial prodigal son a lesson in the price of desertion...". Piers sighed, standing in the shadows "You're obsession with vengeance is going to kill us all my friend...". Markenson smiled grimly, lighting a cigarette, "Oh...maybe it will...but I'll make sure if we die they ALL suffer a hundred times as much as we will..". Piers and Markenson both began to laugh, as they stared at the bait for their trap..

"And the game begins..." chuckled piers, his eyes filling with an unspeakable hatred...

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan didn't speak out of regard for Winsor's distaste for conversation. Instead he tried letting his instincts guide him. Shaking his head he stopped.

"What's the matter now!" said Winsor as she stopped next to him.

"I can't concentrate. There are to many things going through my head right now."

"What do mean? Things going through your head?" she inquired.

Heaving a sigh, Nathan locked eyes with her. His look took her breath away as she saw Nathan's frightening demeanor. She had never seen Nathan display this much seriousness when looking at anyone before,....and having it directed at her made it worse.

"I need to get something off my chest Winsor. I know you like ticking off remarks at me but after I'm done talking to you, if I ever....Ever! Hear one word of what I've said touch your lips to insult me, I swear I'll kill you myself! I need to tell someone or I'm going to go insane....and you're the only one here so deal with it!"

She could only nod. Her will drain from her under his hawk-like glare. As he spoke it disappeared to a look of sorrow and exhaustion. A look...of loneliness.

"Before I met any of you when I lived in Canada, my parents and I lived together. I had a younger brother who was killed in a car accident. Shortly after that my mother died of severe heart failure. At school I was ridiculed and teased. People saying my mother left us. That she killed herself to get away from us. Winsor you wouldn't believe all the things they said. I hated them all. I just wanted to be accepted!.........I joined the Wrestling team for my father. It taught me self worth, and pride. Also it told me who I was. 3 years after that, my father and I left for Gaines. He took me here to start over. To make new friends and start a new life. Then all this happened......" he stopped closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again. He was looking away from her but she could see the glaze of tears fighting to be released. Finding his voice he continued.

"My father was a CIA operative. We moved here on an assignment. The CIA was on to Isis and Blair. They sent him in knowing what was in there and he contracted the virus. He came home bloodied and looking like death walking...I...he...he made me shoot him telling me that he was already dead and if I didn't he would become a zombie. I refused to kill my father!! My only living relative!! He ordered me too and I squeezed the trigger. I killed my own father."

She wanted to reach out but it seemed that to do so might be wrong so she stood still and let him finish.

"After the school I was captured by a man named Piers! He caged me and showed me what remained of my father. The bastard couldn't leave him be and sent soldiers to retrieve his body so he could experiment on it! He made my father into a monster!........For the second time in one night...I killed my father." he finished in no more then a whisper.

"I..." she started but was cut off.

"I'm all alone Winsor. I've got nothing to live for. The only reason I keep going is for you people. You guys never judged me. You gave me hope that somewhere I might find the meaning of friendship,...and now I need it more then ever....." Nathan finished his ranting and stumbled trying to take out his smokes. Lighting it he took a long drag and sat down.

"God that feels better. I...I'm sorry you had to listen to that. We can go now." he said as he stood looking down at the ground.

She looked at him a moment before stepping in front of him lifting his head with her hand so he was looking into her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak.......

David peered through the flashes of moonlight and caught a glimpse of a headset.

(_Nope definitely not Winsor or Nathan._) Quietly he followed them from the shadows.

Joker

The events that had transpired in the last 24 hours or so were enough to make anyone lose it, but somehow, Ryan hadn't severed the subtle mental connection between his mind and the real world just yet. He didn't know how. He almost wished he had. But he hadn't.

Trudging through the park, assault rifle in hand and Vanessa in tow, he began to think about the information he had not long since received.

His older sister, Joanna, was right in the middle of this crap and now, she was dead. "No, not dead", Ryan corrected himself in his conscious stream. "Murdered."

It had come as a real shock to Ryan, one he didn't at all expect. After his parents had a falling-out because his father wasn't home enough (being a SWAT EMT necessitated being on call 24/7), his father and his sister fought as well. As much as Ryan desperately tried to play the negotiator in these fights, he was helpless to control the events that transpired. He was the youngest, who'd listen to him? Eventually, his sister just left. No warning, not even a God damn letter. Just up and gone.

Now, Ryan not only finds that she got herself into some sort of biological disaster working at the Gaines hospital (another revelation new to Ryan), but that she got killed for it. He found himself thinking that if he'd just been a little more persistent, a little more forceful, a little more something, he might have actually stopped the whole chain of events and his sister would be alive.

But that wasn't to be. Ryan had failed everyone he tried to help and he wondered whether he should have even bothered. He was only going to fail again. His sister, his classmates, Paul...

The story of his life: The Good, but incompetent, Samaritan.

But within it all was a glimmer of hope. If he hadn't turned back for Alex at that crucial moment, she would have died. Granted, it was a "touch-and-go" existence she was allowed until that serum was found, but it was the best he could do.

The gravedigger. Ryan was the first to just say, "Fuck it", and go head-to-head with it. He may have done it only to satisfy his own burning hatred for what these things did to people, but he did it all the same. He took it on and came out the victor as the gravedigger retreated to be killed another day, if it even lived that long...

Then there was David. Despite multiple gunshot wounds, Ryan was able to stabilize his condition to at least a satisfactory level. Then again, that bastard had been playing them all like pianos the whole damn time. Ryan wondered if helping a backstabbing son-of-a-bitch counted as "helping" at all.

Vanessa stopped thinking about Jarred and just passively watched Ryan for a while, her curiosity growing with each step. He certainly seemed different now, not saying a word, unusually focused on something, much more solemn than usual. It was all starting to take its toll and that was clearly visible.

Figuring it would do Ryan some good to talk, Vanessa tried to get his attention for a moment.

"Ryan? Are you alright?"

Ryan didn't respond.

"Look, you can talk to me. I don't mind, really..."

Still no answer.

"Ryan, say something."

Ryan stopped.

"What? What do you want me to say, huh? There's nothing to discuss! It's just another easily-prevented death that I didn't do enough about!"

Already, Ryan had clearly ignored Nathan's advice. He wasn't being ruled by reason, he was being ruled by emotion. So many years of having to keep his problems just that, his problems, were only now showing signs of exploding forth.

Ryan sighed sadly, then started again.

"I'm sorry, you didn't need to hear that."

"Hey, we all need to vent every once in a while. That seemed like it was a long time coming. But, damn it, stop blaming yourself for everything! How do you think the rest of us feel? We can't do any more than you can, so just start dealing with it because we need you as much as you need us! What could you have done, huh? Even if you could think of something, it's too late now! Whatever happens, those people are dead! End of story! Bereave? Yes! But kick yourself in the ass about it constantly? Hell, no!", Vanessa shouted, hoping to snap Ryan out of this melancholy.

Ryan was shocked. Vanessa was apologetic.

"I'm sorry..."

"What? Don't even say that. You're right. Don't you ever apologize for being right. I'd rather you tell me the cold, hard truth and make me see a point in it all than give me a lot of futile window-dressing and let me drive myself insane."

Ryan gave a quick smile which was returned by Vanessa. With that bit of soul-searching, he had found reason again. This time, he promised, he wouldn't let it go.

With that, both youths kept walking.

The rustling of the leaves, the calm blow of the wind, the soft creaking of the entrance gates. All these noises penetrated the thin night air, creating an atmosphere of foreboding solitude.

As seconds passed by, the ambience faded into a distant, yet cacophonous clamor of multiple decayed larynxes orchestrating a surreal ensemble of moans, almost psychotic in their utterance, each with a distinct undercurrent for the taste of flesh.

Vanessa heard it first.

"What... what is that?", she asked, already knowing the answer.

Noting the chaotic harmony, Ryan responded instinctively...

"Death in E flat..."


	32. Truth And Capture

Dr.William Birkin

The static of the radio was barely enough to keep private Robert Harrigan awake, he had been stuck at his post for over an hour, listening to his squad mates being picked off one by one. There's no WAY I can be paid enough for this... he thought, yawning and looking at his Ingram MAC10 .45, standard issue to rear echelon personnel like himself. "Pfft..lot of good this thing will probably do...". A rustling noise caught his attention. "Shit....looks like I found a hostile.." he muttered. Standing up, Private Harrigan swept the tree line nearby with his weapon "OK...COME ON OUT...I KNOW YOU'RE....in there?". "DON'T....move..." came a low, cold voice from behind, "Drop the gun...turn around...". Harrigan shakily dropped his weapon and turned..to find himself staring directly into the grinning face of David Sunderland. "YOU! YOU'RE THAT KID MARKENSON WANTED US TO FIND...". "One in the same....and you're just another corpse..." David sneered, before blasting 7 rounds into the stunned private from his dual pistols. The last image private Harrigan ever saw was David standing over his dying form, laughing a cruel and malicious laugh...

"OOOH! What do we have HERE!" said David, as he picked up the mac 10 and 3 clips for it with all the enthusiasm of an 8 yr old at Christmas. Tucking the browning hi power and the Beretta into the pockets of his jacket, David quietly edged back into the forest, ignoring the cries for the deceased to report in over the radio....

Alexandra's eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the darkness. "Uhh....huh? Where...where the hell am I!" she cried, struggling to stand, when she realized she had been thoroughly secured to the chair. "Ah....good...you've woken up" came a soft, calm voice from the shadows. "WHO ARE YOU...WHAT DO YOU WANT.." yelled Alex, the fear welling up in her light brown eyes. "No reason to be afraid..I'm a friend...My name is Brian Markenson, I'm the director of security for this...ah...little experiment were running. And I'm very glad to see you miss temple, you see...you're quite close to one of our operatives, I believe you know him...David Sunderland...". Alexandra was stunned into silence, "Y-you..you mean he's...". "Working for us?", another voice cut her off, Piers walked into the light "Damn straight he is...or..should I say...WAS...you see...he's apparently gone rogue on us and we don't like it when that happens...". "No...can't be true...David would never work for people like you.." cried Alex. Mocking laughter filled the room from piers, "OH THAT IS FUNNY...THIS IS SO TOUCHING ITS MAKING ME PHYSICALLY ILL!!!! Yes...it is true...you know VERY little about him...". "Piers, calm down, we don't need your theatrical responses to everything.." Markenson said, turning to Alexandra. "What we need you for...is a...er....motivation if you will for David to return to us...we just want to finalize some matters with him you see...traitors are not a liability we enjoy being burdened with you know...". "Finalize? You've got that one right...you see...he's scheduled for termination...of the most severe and abrupt kind if you understand my meaning" chuckled Piers, having immense fun at watching her squirm and protest to the truth. Dropping a file in front of her, Markenson and piers turned to leave. "Its been a rough night miss temple...you may want to read that file..it will answer many questions you have about the Sunderland problem as we have begun to call it, don't worry..we'll be back to continue this discussion in due time...". "This nightmares just beginning for you....try not to cry too loudly..." laughed Piers, as the soldier guarding the door let him out

Alexandra's began to sob profoundly, her tears falling onto the picture of David contained in the file, the minute her eyes fell upon the line "Operative considered security threat level omega 3, terminate immediately" she could no longer stand it and sadly closed her eyes. "David....why.." was all she could say as her cries echoed off of the cold stone walls of the interrogation cell...

Infinity-X

"This isn't true, it can't be..."

said Alexandra quietly, and in a shaky voice. She slowly reached down and picked up the file. She had no clue that Piers and Markenson were watching her every move. Alex opened up the file and started to read it.

"David Sunderland, blah, blah, blah.....In training?...Oh My God....."

She couldn't believe what she had read, she wouldn't believe what she read. Alex continued to read the file. David never seemed like that though, she didn't get it one bit. She put her head down for a minute. Markenson and Piers then walked back into the room. Alex threw the file on the ground in front of her and crossed her arms.

"Well, it looks like you actually read it,"

said Markenson slowly walking towards her. Piers was laughing quietly.

"Get away from me,"

said Alex, she stared at Markenson for a minute then just looked towards the wall.

"I don't think you understand, we have plans for you...."

Markenson said. He had an evil grin on his face. Alex looked back at him. She decided to speak up again,

"And what if I don't want to be a part of these plans to get David?"

"Hahaha.....oh, you'll be a part of these plans."

said Markenson. He walked over to Piers who was still laughing at Alex's attitude.

"Oh really, what are you going to do, try and brainwash me or something?!?!"

said Alex as she burst out laughing. Piers than gave her a psycho like look. She quickly stopped laughing. Alex knew something was going on, and it seems she would some how be of help. 

Claire Redfield

Winsor opened her mouth to say something anything-

-and closed it shaking her head and stepping away from him. Her hand gliding off his face.

__

He's like me. Always alone. Even when he was in a group of people he was empty.

She wished she could say something, but she didn't know what to say. She had never met someone that was like her. She had never been in this sort of situation before.

"Listen, I'm sorry again," Nathan said. He probably knew that he made her nervous.

"I'm sorry too. I hate wasting time," Winsor said without thinking. The words just slipped out quickly and sounded incredibly harsh. She readied herself for a blow, remembering that he said that he would probably kill her if she said anything smart back at him.

Nathan shrugged his shoulders and rubbed his eyes. "You don't give up do you? Must you always have something to say that is heartless?"

"I'm not heart-," she was interrupted by a burst of gunfire. It came from behind them. Both turned and started to run back. The cool fall air hit their bodies as they ran, guns ready.

There was a corpse on the ground. It was recent and wasn't there before when they walked through the area.

Nathan bent down, looking at the mess. "It's one of Piers' goons."

Winsor looked around and seen no movement. Whoever shot the man was gone now.

"So what do we-," she said slowly and was interrupted by a glance that Nathan made. He was looking behind her.

"Ssh," he whispered. "I seen something move."

Winsor turned her head to look back.

Something that looked human moved by a bridge. It moved faster than a zombie. Maybe it was another human or David or Alex. Or the shooters or whoever shot the man.

Nathan stood up and walked forward. "Come on," he whispered.

Winsor followed. A few dim streetlamps lit the path to the bridge. The bridge looked old and was made out of wood. A large lake surrounded the area with only the bridge to cross over to the other side. The figure was somewhere around there.

They stepped on the bridge. Small creaking noises came from underfoot. The looked around. The figure was gone...or maybe hiding underneath the bridge.

__

But that wouldn't make sense. The lake is deep. Why would anyone go into the water?

They stopped walking at the middle of the bridge. Nathan looked down at the water, is reflection only looking back at him. Winsor let out a sigh.

"Listen Nath," she began,"I'm sorry about your family. My family is dead too...maybe."

"Maybe?" Nathan asked. He looked back at her as he rested his hands on the wooden railings. They started to bend under the weight and he slowly moved his arms back to his side.

"I was abandoned when I was born. Never knew my parents so they're dead to me," she said softly. She thought the words would hurt her, but it actually made her feel better. Talking to someone does help. "I probably killed them emotionally. They obviously didn't want me."

"Looks like we're almost the same," he said softly as well. "Although I can't imagine who wouldn't want you."

Winsor fought the growing blush rising and turned her head to the bridge's planks under her. Nathan looked out from the railings, scanning across the lake. A pale moon was in the sky. A distant moan was heard in the distance proving that there were still some zombies around.

Winsor took a step toward Nathan, readying herself to ask him something personal-

-when the blue claw clamped onto the opposite side of the railing. A creature jumped out from the water and dove at Nathan, who was at the moment turning around to see what as behind them.

It was big and resembled the hunters except its mouth was enormous. Capable of swallowing prey whole.

"NATHAN!" Winsor screamed and pushed him out of its way, shoving him to the floor. She tried to fall with him-

-and was slammed by the hunter, throwing her into the railing. A sickening cracking noise came and the railing gave away. She fell with the hunter into the lake. A cold rush of water slapped her body as she kicked the hunter away.

She felt something break by her foot, hoping that she hurt the hunter somehow or that it got hurt from something. Her lungs started to pound as she tried to swim back to the surface, but something was wrong. She couldn't move. The hunter was gone or somewhere readying to attack her or Nathan so it wasn't the hunter holding her down. She kicked her legs and felt something on her leg. She was tangled in something. She was going to drown...

__

Nathan, I'm so sorry....,it was the last thought she had before she felt tired.

She felt a nearby splash by her. It was a large one. It was either the hunter or Nathan...Hopefully Nathan.


	33. Jarred's Ability

Dr.William Birkin

David walked through the surreal area, this was the part of the park he hated with every fiber of his being. The wooded path wound around the lake and eventually ended by branch street...his destination was where he had last heard the cleaner troops were falling back to.._find the generic henchmen...find their leader..find their leader...and then find Markenson...then kill the son of a bitch..._ thought David, enjoying how he could maintain such a vengeful state of mind even when scared out of his wits. A low fog had rolled in from the lake area, and the moonlit clearings only added to the dream..or nightmare..like quality of the path. Walking slowly forward, David passed a trooper with a large radio..the radios static hum changed instantly.

Markenson had decided it was time to close the noose...seeing David walk past the trooper was just the opportunity he needed. Keying in the radio frequency..Markenson prepared to deliver the ultimatum...

"David,....David Sunderland..." the radio began to sputter. "WHAT THE?!" David spun around, aiming his mac10 at the woods, realizing it was a radio, he cautiously went over and answered the call. "Yes? This is Sunderland...what the hell do you want..". "David...it's me..your old friend Markenson..." laughed the garbled voice. "YOU....god..why can't people like you ever die when you should..you're like a cockroach, wandering aimlessly through the shadows of the world...a pest that just cant be eradicated but in the end is just a weak, pathetic screw up of nature". Laughter burst forth over the line, "That's what I always liked about you Sunderland...even when you're about to die you maintain that cynical little sense of bitter humor...god..I'm almost going to regret doing what I have to do...". "Which is..?" responded David, now impatient. "I have a friend of yours with me...her name is Alexandra Temple...I believe you two are quite close...". "You're bluffing...you....you have to be!" screamed David, refusing to believe it. "Oh really?!" The sound of wild sobbing was heard over the comm. radio, "YOU CALL THAT BLUFFING? LOOK SUNDERLAND, I CAN ONLY KEEP PIERS AWAY FROM HER FOR SO LONG...you know how to find me...I suggest you do so....this little game you've been playing has to end....". David turned, and saw a camera imbedded in a tree, the lens shimmering in the pale light of the full moon. David stared in hatred at it, and raised his weapon. "If you touch her...I swear to god I'm going to make you sorry you ever heard of me..". Throwing the radio away into the woods, David pulled the trigger, blasting the camera into a useless hunk of metal in a burst of .45 acp rounds.

Markenson sighed, and lowered the radio, staring at the static filled screen. "And now for the beginning of the end..". Switching on an intercom, Markenson lit a cigarette "Piers....you know what to do...make it painless as possible for her, and remember, try to go for no permanent mental aberrations caused by the procedure..". "Ohh...you never let me have ANY fun!!!!" responded Piers. The sound of laughter and cries of horror were heard over the open intercom..as Piers moved to complete phase 1...

__

May god have mercy on us all for this.... thought Markenson quietly, sickened by the brutality of his colleague, and the horrors they would bring upon the remaining survivors....

City of the Dead

Jarred was beginning to think splitting up was a dumb idea, but then again he had Vanessa on his mind ever since him and John had separated from the others.

"What's going on with you two?" John asked.

Jarred knew what John was asking, but he played it off as if he didn't.

"What do you mean?" Jarred asked.

"You and Vanessa, I mean what I saw wasn't just a glad to see ya...Well, it could be" John said.

"Heh, that's none of your business" Jarred joked.

At about that time, distant gunshots told them both that the conversation was over.

"Shall we dance?" John joked.

"Lets" Jarred smiled.

They both ran off in the direction of the shots. Jarred led the way, he rounded a fountain and hopped over a few benches.

"Hurry up John" He yelled to John who was trailing behind.

A large thud hit the ground in front of him and Jarred was surrounded by a hulk of olive scar tissue and burnt muscle.

"Holy shit" He yelled as he gazed upon the disfigured shape of the Nemesis.

It's face was horribly mutilated, compliments of Jarred's earlier work. Torn black leather was burnt onto it's skin, and a mass of violet pulsating cords ran in and out of its body, collecting at the head and arms.

Jarred went to grab his assault rifle but it was too late, the Nemesis drew back his bleeding arm and a wave of tentacles grabbed hold of Jarred. He felt the grip tightening around his throat and stomach as he was lifted into the air, brushing up against the tree branches.

"Godammit, eat this you piece of shit" John yelled unloading the buck shot into the creature. He watched helplessly as the creature slammed Jarred to the ground like a toy. His face hit hard on the cement, chipping most of his front teeth, he felt something trickle out of his mouth, not knowing whether it was spit or blood. He couldn't even tell where he was at the moment. John continued to fire, cursing the monster loudly.

"Raghhhhhh" The nemesis growled as he ignored John and took a few steps towards Jarred's floored body. It seemed as if the creature was seeking revenge on the one who had nearly killed him earlier.

Jarred could see the blurry figure approach him, he was just about out of it and he could barely move. He summoned up all his strength to raise up, but was smacked back down again by the creature.

"Jesus Christ, it's going to kill him" John yelled. He ran closer and continued to fire.

Then all of a sudden, the Nemesis recoiled and backed away from the fallen survivor. It let out a disappointed growl and ran right past John and away from them both. If they both came out of it okay, John would have been overjoyed. He ran over to Jarred who appeared to be unconscious on the ground.

__

Oh god, please don't be dead.

"Aw no dude" John said assessing Jarred's injuries.

Blood covered his face and he was already bruising up.

"Oh dear god, don't die on me Jarred" John yelled at his fallen friend. "Dude, we all need you... Vanessa needs you; you can't die like this."

Jarred was gone, unconscious, he was very endurable, but no one could handle a thrashing like that. John gently helped him up, draping Jarred's motionless arm around his shoulder.

"Come on, we're going to go somewhere safe for now, until I can find the others" John said, he knew that Jarred couldn't hear him, but he said it anyways.

"Well, I'll be damned" Piers said.

Markenson almost didn't hear his comment; he was lost in thought, watching Alex in the holding room. He turned around and saw Piers standing at the monitors.

"What is it?" He asked looking into the black and white screen.

"I knew it, its true" Piers said excitedly.

"What?" Markenson asked again.

"That Jarred boy, the Nemesis withdrew from finishing him off" Piers smiled.

"I'm not following you" Markenson said.

"Don't you see, I knew it all along, that kid's blood type is the only one that can resist the effects of the virus and its mutations, meaning that the injection of ME3456 wouldn't mutate him or change his body, we need him alive" Piers said excitedly pointing to the monitors.

"Wait a minute? What the hell was that?" Markenson asked.

A rumbling could be heard overhead, they had set up their communications and surveillance systems in the basement of City Hall, which also doubled as a bomb shelter, so it was very rare to hear anything from the outside.

Markenson turned and began to fumble with the camera controls.

"Uh oh, looks like we have more company" He said staring closely at the monitor.

The choppers sat down near High Street, at least four or five of them. The doors swung open and out jumped many armed troops.

"Looks like Isis is on to sliver" Piers said looking over at Markenson who was infuriated.

Markenson picked up a two-way radio and set it to where it would come across all the cleaner's frequencies.

"Attention men, we have new orders, Isis troops are on the ground near High street, shoot to kill, repeat shoot to kill, don't forget about those bastards as well, we want the ones Jarred Orr, Nathan Law, and David Sunderland alive, anyone else is to be shot on sight, over" Markenson slammed down the radio. At about that same time, he quickly collected himself and was eerily calm again.

"Well, this is going to complicate things" He said to Piers. Markenson knew that Isis was onto them, they had no other reason to be there. More than likely the Isis troops would make attempts to keep the survivors away from Blair as well as well as destroy all their research, but they wouldn't be successful.

"Don't worry, no one is going anywhere" Markenson said walking away from the camera monitors...

Carlos Oliveira

Feeling himself hit the floor Nathan looked up and saw Winsor falling with the hunter into the water. Quickly standing he reached down and collected his rifle slinging it over a shoulder before diving in after them. The water wasn't very cold as he swam down into the murky depths. Flicking on the tac light he saw Winsor fighting to free herself from a tangle of net that she had caught her foot in. She looked up with pleading and sorrowful eyes. Seeing that see was about to pass out Nathan swam back up and took a deep breath as he plunged back in. Swimming down to her he grabbed her shoulder with one hand and slipped his other behind her neck pulling her lips to his. He pressed his lips firmly against hers and when her mouth opened he exhaled the air into her lungs and pulled away. She looked shocked and thankful all at the same time. He dove down and pulling out a small pocket knife he started to free her from the netting. Suddenly he was slammed from behind a driven deeper into the abyss. She caught a quick glimpse of the hunter pushing him deeper then water was churning so badly that she couldn't see him anywhere. She heard a few muffled whooshing sounds and then saw the tac light coming towards her. Nathan reached up and freed her ankle and with an arm around her waist, swam her up to the surface.

Not only was she shocked but impressed as well at Nathan's ability to think clearly in a situation like this. When their lips touched not only did she feel the air rush into her lungs but she felt something else,....desire. Shaking her head she thought that maybe it was a desire for air, but in the end she knew it wasn't. Nathan pulled her to the surface and swam her to shore. Laying there for a few moments he held her tightly. When she sat up he looked into her eyes and whispered,..."Jesus. I thought I'd lost you." Quickly realizing what he said he tried to avoid embarrassment by looking away but she reached out and with a hand to his cheek turned him back to her. Smiling....actually smiling at him. She pulled him to her in a tender embrace and whispered,..."Thank you,...for everything."

Silently they sat there holding each other as they each let some of their demons go. For them both it was a release of the past and a beginning of the future. When they parted he somehow lost himself and kissed her cheek. It seemed like the right thing to do but instantly he felt like he had done something wrong. She smiled again and so did he. Standing up he helped her to her feet and held her hand longer then necessary.

She let go and started to hand dry her hair. She wiped her face on her shirt cleaning the water off and when she looked up Nathan was staring at her with a strange look in his eyes. A look she had never seen before from anyone.

Quietly he whispered,.."My god your gorgeous."

She answered like she hadn't heard him,...."What was that?"

"Uh? Oh nothing. Just thinking out loud. We should get going. We need to find David and Alex." he replied

Reloading his rifle he turned towards the path and then suddenly looked back.

"You know I don't care what you say Sam. Nothing can make this night worse then it already is! I really like you a lot! More then I think I ever have. Your attitude doesn't scare me but the complete opposite! I'm attracted to you. It's so obvious! And I know you don't feel the same and never would but I'm not one to lie or beat around the bush! I'm glad we got stuck together and I'm even happier that we took a dip together too! There is something about you that draws me like a moth too a flame and I don't know what it is! I do know that it isn't hate, anger, or anything bad, and if the only way I ever get to kiss your lips is by having a creature knock you into the water and almost drown you then I'll take it!! Either way I feel I know you a little better then the others and for some reason trust you more!......Ok go ahead and yell, curse, smack me, whatever you'd like. I'm tired of hiding things from you like my feelings. I may not be able to tell my parents how much they meant to me but I sure as hell can tell you!" Nathan stood there as he finished waiting for her reply. Whatever she said it couldn't be worse then what he expected. So either way he was safe from the hurt. Maybe not from the loneliness though.

She stared at him as he poured himself out at her in another rant. This one being different, she didn't know what to say until he finished. Looking into his green eyes she never felt this way before and without thinking opened her mouth and the words came forth like they we're coming from somewhere else.....

Jill Valentine

The empty moans grew closer and closer; quickening the slow steady pace that Vanessa and Ryan had once settled into. The dark cannibalized figures closed in on them faster and faster; as several more corpses emerged from the darkened bushes surrounding the City Park.

"Fuck!" Ryan cried through breathless gasps of fear. "We can't fight them off, let's get out of here!"

Vanessa didn't hesitate to disagree with his suggestion, and immediately sprinted on after Ryan as he darted around dark corners, and dusty forest bends.

Before they knew it, they had narrowly escaped the lifeless cannibals, Ryan leaning over toward the ground, desperately gasping for air as he glanced up around him; looking for any signs of danger.

"It's best we find the others..." he gasped, holding his abdomen in pain. "We can't fight those things by ourselves..."

"But that defeats the whole purpose of us splitting up in the first place!" Vanessa cried. Ryan glared up at her, through tired, yet angry eyes, opening his mouth widely, as the words thundered out at her.

"Would you like to die here? Huh?! Well I'll tell you now, I have had just about enough of people dying on me okay? So are you going to listen to me and find the others? Or die a miserable death?!"

Vanessa's face grew pale; fear drawn into her expression as she nodded slightly, indicating her agreement. Ryan's facial expression softened.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I've just been through a lot..and I don't want anyone else to die, and that includes you..."

Vanessa smiled, deeply acknowledging his apology, for she understood what he was going through.

-------------------------------

Not far away-

John paced on quickly, an unconscious Jarred leaning off his arm. He had a lot going through his mind at this point of time; he

was scared for Jarred's life, and his own.

"Please, Jarred buddy, don't die on me now..."

Trudging heavily through the muddy slabs of the forest trail, John was determined to survive, as well as taking his six friends along with him.

There were sudden conscious moans coming from Jarred's sleek, yet bloody mouth. John gently set him down on the ground, lightly shaking him in the hopes he would wake up.

"Jarred? You ok? Get up man." John pleaded, still shaking him.

"Mmm...Where are we?" came rattled gurgle from Jarred's red, bruised face.

"We're still in the park dude...I'm trying to find the others, but I haven't seen them!"

Jarred forced himself to stand up, almost tumbling over at his first attempt.

"Do you think I would be able to walk?" He asked, wincing at the dim light that had formed the image of John's face.

"Maybe, just try for yourself."

With his weak legs trembling from his forced steps, Jarred collapsed, crying in pain as he fell.

"Ah shit man!"

----------------------------------

Ryan and Vanessa were still quite a distance from where the group had initially split up.

It was dark, and the midnight air cooled their warm human bodies with it's cold still touch. The forest trees swayed gently in the cool breeze that whirled through the City park, and the gentle rattle of the leaves colliding with the hard cement pathway set a rhythmic beat throughout the stillness of the forest.

"So," Vanessa began, trying to initiate conversation. "You think this whole thing will...blow over?"

Ryan gave Vanessa a disturbed look, trying to find an answer to her question.

"Well, in time it will," he replied. "But we are the ones who have to stop it."

"Yeah...I wish this whole thing had never of happened.." She suddenly muttered, peering up at the pale, moonlit sky that shone brightly over her.

"Doesn't everyone?"


	34. Danger Intensifies

City of the Dead

"Dude, it's alright, leave me here, I can fend for myself," Jarred said.

"No you can't, look at you; you can't even walk right now," John added.

"So," Jarred protested.

"Come on, we're getting you somewhere until you can rest up," John said helping jarred up off the cement.

"I don't need rest...Put me back down," Jarred said, slipping back into a state of comatose.

"Shit, this is dangerous, I need to get him somewhere fast," John worried.

Vanessa and Ryan began their search for everyone else, there was nothing more to accomplish in the park, except a bunch of dimly lit areas with little surprises waiting in the shadows, and that was something they felt that they could pass.

"Shhh, did you hear something?" Ryan asked suddenly.

"No, what is it?" Vanessa asked.

Ryan signaled for her to be quiet again. Vanessa heard something clearly now, it was the sound of dragging feet, it sounded like the footsteps of a zombie. Ryan cocked the Handgun and aimed it into the darkness. All of a sudden, two figures stepped into the light and Ryan quickly recognized them.

"John...Oh dear god, what happened?" Ryan yelled noticing the injured Jarred.

Jarred was bleeding and was nearly immobile.

"Help me guys, we need to get him somewhere safe," John said.

"Oh fuck," Vanessa yelled running over to him. "Oh no, what the hell happened?" She frantically asked.

"It got him," was all that John could say; Vanessa and Ryan quickly knew what he meant by his words.

Vanessa stroked her hand through Jarred's hair, feeling trickling blood run down from his scalp. Seeing him like this brought tears to her eyes. What if he wouldn't make it? What if he didn't survive?

"Okay, I've got an idea," Ryan said to John and Vanessa. "Let's get him to the St. Joseph's Church, he'll be safe there," Ryan said.

"But that's on the other side of downtown, do you think we can make it?" John asked.

"I don't care, come on, we need to get him out of here," Vanessa said with deep concern.

"Well, what about the others?" John asked.

"I don't know," Ryan said, genuinely confused. about that topic

Everyone pushed it from their minds and headed towards the front entrance of the park, tired, miserable, cold, and worried...

David had been wandering around the park, trying to find the others, but to no avail. He had a good clue where Markenson and Piers were hiding, he remembered Markenson saying that communications would be set up at the city hall, but he wanted to make sure the others were safe first.

__

Heh, that's odd, I guess there's a first time for everything.

David temporarily gave up and sat down behind a bush, resting up for a minute. He was hidden by the shrub, but could see the streets outside the park.

God, I hope that giant lizard thing is gone, what the hell was that anyways? Couldn't have been one of Piers' creations, none of his research has ever suggested a 20 foot lizard. And who knows, there could be more of them out there.

David shifted his thoughts towards Alex. He knew that they were trying to lure him into a trap with her as the bait, and it looks like it was working. He didn't care, he knew that Markenson and Piers were two very fucked up individuals and he knew what they were capable of.

David lost his concentration as he heard a squeaky gate open from the left; someone was coming out of the park.

"What the hell?" David whispered looking through the bush.

Vanessa, John, and Ryan were helping someone along.

"Uh oh," Jarred was injured.

David hopped over the bush and climbed over the fence.

"Hey guys, what happened?" He yelled as he hopped out into the street.

Everyone stopped and looked back at him, a bit confused as to how he appeared out of nowhere.

"David, it's you," John said.

"Yeah, what happened here?" David asked again.

"The Nemesis got him" Ryan said, biting his tongue. He wanted to punch David in the face. After all this, it was still difficult for Ryan to play it off as if he didn't know anything.

"Aren't Winsor and Nathan with you guys?" David asked.

"Nuh uh, we never found them, we're getting Jarred to the church now," Vanessa said.

"Hey guys, I've got an idea, see that jeep over there?" David said pointing to a parked, top-less army jeep. "The keys are in the ignition, take that, and I'll go find Winsor and Nathan and we'll meet up with you at the church" David said.

"Okay, we'll see you then," John said.

"Oh, and one more thing, there is something else here, trust me, if you face it, you'll see it coming," David said before he ran off into the park again.

Ryan was getting pissed, why couldn't David just tell them what he was talking about? He always did that.

"Come on, get him into the jeep," John said helping Jarred into the car. He had almost regained full consciousness.

Jarred looked up towards Vanessa, his vision still a bit blurry.

"Where are we going?" Jarred asked Vanessa.

"We're getting you to the church where it's safe," Vanessa said hopping into the back with him.

"...I hate church," Jarred said closing his eyes again.

Vanessa smiled at the remark, she kneeled down and kissed him on the forehead. He reached and placed her hand in his, and then shut his eyes once again.

"Okay guys, now I'm not that great of a driver so hold tight," Ryan said cranking up the car. He knew that some of the roads were littered with debris, he just hoped there was a route to the Church that was free of any hostilities...

Joker

As Ryan started the jeep, he thought to himself, _"Great. Just got my license and my first real drive is a medical emergency..."._ He also thought about going back for Nathan and Winsor. David was going back after them.

But, to Ryan, that just seemed another incentive to go back for Nath and Winsor. The bastard had lied to them all along and, as far as Ryan knew, he was a plant for Blair/Isis. He was the closest personification of the madness threatening his life. Everyone's lives.

Ryan had a serious dilemma. He wanted to go back for them. Half of him screamed "Go back! ". Nath had been there for everyone in this ordeal. Best still, unlike how Ryan viewed himself, he was able to save the day, whereas Ryan was lucky to give some people a few more hours of life...

Then there was Winsor. _"A real enigma"_, Ryan thought. So pessimistic, so jaded, and yet, so guarded, almost as if she's afraid to become attached to anyone...

__

Neither of them deserved to die. Nobody deserved to die this way.

But David... when Ryan thought about decking that prick, he was clearly being irrational...

...What he meant was that he wanted to take his fucking head clean off. It was hard for Ryan to stop himself from just taking him out. Ryan hated the "Cloak & Dagger" he'd seen in school, people plotting rumors, pranks, gossip... it was all bullshit to him. But David took the term "bullshit" (in this context) to a whole new level.

The other half of Ryan's mind said, _" Deal with the emergency at hand. Nath can take care of himself, he's proven that. He and Winsor will be fine, even if David is a lying bastard. But he's not in any known danger, Jarred is. Deal with that."_.

Ryan shoved the jeep into gear and started off down the road. He had found reason earlier and he was not going to lose it.

__

"They'll be ok...", Ryan thought to himself, _"...they'll be ok..."_

As the jeep sped down Seventh Street, Ryan tried desperately to remember which way they should go. He tried to remember the map, but it didn't help too much. He knew St. Joseph's Church, it was on College Street as he recalled, but how to get there without running into a blockade was quite another matter.

However, he could remember that they pretty much had a clear run down Riverside Drive.

Coming to the end of Seventh Street, Ryan threw the jeep hard to the left, throwing about the occupants slightly. Jarred moaned in pain as Vanessa shouted, "Watch it, Ryan!"

"Sorry, but it was either that or meet the side of a truck!", Ryan called back, thinking, "Typical moron parking there...".

As the jeep made its way up Riverside Drive, the moans of the undead became louder still. The "Festival On The Water" was apparently on and it appeared a lot of people went out to see it before the virus hit.

Upon seeing this new thing careening toward them, the mob started wandering in front of the jeep, trying to stop it to feast on the occupants.

"Jesus Christ, where did all these people come from?!? They're gonna stop us with sheer numbers!", John exclaimed with fear.

"Oh, no, you don't!", Ryan said angrily as he shifted down a gear and slammed the accelerator down, making the jeep lurch forth like a bat out of the proverbial Hell.

A few stray undead got in front of the jeep, only to be met by the large bull-bar on the front, making a mockery of their rotted bodies. The crunch of each corpse rolling under the tires was enough to make the group sick, but filled them with a macabre satisfaction at the same time.

That feeling of morbid contentment stopped when Ryan saw the dense mob of undead just in front of him.

"Well, fuck that!", Ryan said as he slowed slightly and threw the jeep into First Street.

The road ahead was clear. The group sighed with relief as Ryan tried to think where to go next.

As he thought, Walnut Street passed. A strange sound filled their air, slowly making itself known above the high revs of the jeep. It sounded almost like...

..."A rocket?!?"

The warhead propelled itself just behind the jeep, rocking it forth, but not enough to cause any damage. It had been a lucky miss.

"Where the hell did that come from?!?", Vanessa cried.

"How the hell should I know?!?", Ryan snapped back tersely. Clearly, he wasn't driving by what he'd learned. He was driving by fear and adrenaline.

Ryan turned sharply into Mulberry Street. With any luck, he could get right to St. Joseph's on this street. The turn threw the passengers around again. This time, nobody said anything. Being thrown around a little was nothing compared to being blown to smithereens.

As he turned, another propelled explosive delivered its payload into the corner stores, sending glass, charred merchandise and miscellaneous things flying with the visual effect of a fireball emanating from their origin.

As the jeep barreled down Mulberry Street, another rocket exploded, this time close to the jeep, raising it on two wheels for a while.

Ryan fought to control the vehicle. After slowing down (reluctantly), the jeep resumed its normal 4-wheeled transit.

__

"That's it", Ryan thought to himself. _"There's no God damn way I'll let us all go up!" _All it took was one lucky shot and it was all over.

Slamming the brakes on as the Gaines Police Department was in sight, Ryan said, "Get out!"

"You've gotta be kidding, man! Drive! We're sitting ducks sitting still! Hell, we're sitting ducks rolling!", John protested.

"Not anymore, I am! Now get out, we don't have much time!", Ryan persisted.

John started to try and talk Ryan out of it, but he would not be moved.

"NOW!", Ryan insisted frantically.

Ryan might have been usually polite, but he could be God damn stubborn if he wanted to be. He could also be God damn crazy.

Realizing this, John quickly got out and helped Vanessa lift Jarred out to seek shelter.

---------------------------

The Nemesis watched on curiously with its one serviceable eye. Its vision was quite damaged from the onslaught Jarred had inflicted on it, making its depth perception quite poor. Large objects, like vehicles, however, stood out quite distinctly. At the moment, all it could see was that its target had stopped. It could not distinguish the two youths carrying their wounded friend.

The Nemesis growled as it continued reloading its rocket launcher. Its target was on the move...

---------------------------

Ryan slammed the jeep into first and sped off. He didn't want to leave them behind, but at that rate, they wouldn't get to the church. Better he got killed than him and three other innocent souls. But he had failed again. He might have made it to St. Joseph's instead of just leaving them.

Them, this time, being Jarred, a natural leader of sorts, he was the driving force behind them. Vanessa, someone he couldn't help but like, being very insightful for one of the more "popular" girls. Last, but not least, John, someone Ryan felt somewhat of a kindred spirit to, someone who had faced similar demons, seeing his friends slaughtered. Had Ryan known John better, they'd probably be the best of friends judging by the way each kept the other going.

"I'm sorry... ", Ryan said quietly as he said a silent prayer for them. All of them. He had not forgotten that Nath and Winsor were alone. David was going to meet up with them, but as far as Ryan was concerned, if something didn't surface to show he wasn't plotting against all of them, that meant precisely "dick".

As Ryan's subconscious stream faded away, the sound of an explosion filled his ears, the jeep careening out of control from the concussive blast.

Ryan desperately tried to regain control, but was just too inexperienced to do so, the jeep making a wide sweeping arc into a mass of debris. The force of the impact left Ryan slumped over the wheel, bleeding from the head, unconscious, with fire licking somewhat close to the vehicle, too close for comfort. Below the vehicle, some tiny drops of gasoline began to form...

Dr.William Birkin

David ran as fast as he could down the nature trail leading to the lake, the MAC10 clutched tightly in his hand Its obvious they know, and its obvious what they'll do to you, might as well just kill Nathan and Winsor and surrender to the troops... screamed part of David's mind, but he ignored it, realizing it was that type of thinking that had gotten him here in the first place. Seeing a figure aiming a rifle at the end of a path, barely illuminated by David's pocket flashlight, he jumped behind cover. "HOLD IT RIGHT THERE..." yelled a familiar voice at the end of the path, it was Nathan. "Jesus Christ am I glad to see you!!" yelled David, somewhat frustrated as he stood out in the open with his hands above his head. "Look..your friends...Ryan and Jarred and what's-her-name, all went off to the church..you might as well go find them..." he said, turning and beginning to walk off. "And where the hell are YOU off to?" screamed Winsor, standing up next to Nathan. David turned and stared at them through the darkness and fog of the lake area, "I have more important things to attend to...Alex has been taken by the clean up troops..and, no offense..but in my opinion her safety FAR outweighs that of the rest of you....well then, have fun!!!" he yelled as he ran off into the darkness..

"Is it just me or does he seem to know more than he's letting on?" said Winsor, turning to Nathan. "Somehow I'm willing to bet he does...." replied Nathan in a low tone of voice, remembering the files on David's clandestine ties...

"DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT!!!" Markenson's cries echoed through his office. "GOD DAMN YOU PIERS..." he said, jamming a thumb in the direction of a monitor showing the iris troops, "THIS IS THE PRICE OF YOU'RE DAMNED RESEARCH..YOU COULDN'T HAVE JUST STOPPED WHEN YOU SHOULD HAVE..OH NO, YOU HAD TO WAIT FOR AN OUTBREAK TO OCCUR DIDN'T YOU. NOW WERE ALL GOING TO DIE!" yelled Markenson. "Calm down...they'll never get past the lizard mutation that inadvertently freed your friend Sunderland before...this event will end favorably for us.." said Piers calmly. Markenson lit another cigarette, pacing the length of the office again, when something caught his eye. "Well..looks like the bait is waking up..." he said, gazing at the monitor set to holding cell 3....

Claire Redfield

They watched David run off, neither of them stopping him, but Winsor and Nathan knew that he was hiding something. He was starting to get sloppy ad whatever he was planning, it sounded bad.

__

But not as bad as what I said to Nath. Damn my morbid sarcasm and cruel nature.

After Nathan had said his little speech about him liking her, Winsor actually felt terrified for the first time in her life. No one cared for her before and there were mixed feelings about him. Trust, respect, and another thing that she was scared of. She always thought that the "in crowd" were the only ones to fall in love. She had put herself down over the years, knowing that no one would love her, making her cruel and stronger to retaliate anything anyone said. And after Nathan told her about how he felt, she was left scared and confused. As if she had forgotten the years of snapping and fighting.

So she let her mouth do the talking, instead of telling him how she truly felt. "I bet you tell that to all the girls. But I'm not like all girls, so give your hopes up. I'm not worth saving and I have no idea why the hell you like me, but that is probably the most moronic thing I have ever heard."

Nathan was quiet for a moment. His face was stern and then a smile crawled up his face.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"That is why I like you. I have seen girls that have the looks, the brains, the voice, the-the positivism," he said. His smile grew wider. "And then there's you."

"So you're saying that I'm ugly, stupid, cruel, and negative," she said quickly.

"No! You're-you're all of the good things that a guy looks for in a girl combined!"

"Uh-huh and you knew that after you dated that slut, Lina."

She shut her mouth quickly, fearing that she would get shot. It was almost the same situation she was in with John and she pissed him off the edge.

Nathan looked saddened first and then slowly nodded. "I should have known better. Now I do."

Winsor sighed and that's when David came in, running and ranting about the others going to some church and that he had to take care of some things first.

Now Winsor and Nathan were jogging to the entrance of the park, heading toward the church.

"The church is by Georgia Ave. and-" Nathan said, but Winsor cut him off.

"-College St. I know. By the cemetery, of all things."

"Be ready to shoot anything then."

"Then in that case, I must ask can I shoot John?"

Nathan stared at her as they exited the park. He had one of those "you-can't-be-serious" looks plastered on his face.

"Long story. Let's just go-"she was caught off by a group of moans coming from their right. Seven zombies staggered towards them. Nathan raised his weapon at them. Winsor raised her gun also-

-and there was another chorus behind them now; to their right. Four more zombies lurched forward, each wailing for something to feed on.

"Nath?" she said in a shaky voice. There was five more now coming around the corner. Two more coming from another direction on Nathan's side.

She felt something grab her hand and instinctively struggled a bit as she shot a glance to see her attacker.

"Run!" Nathan shouted and they both ran away from the zombies, hand-in-hand. Despite the annoying damp feeling of their clothes clinging to their skin on a cool autumn night, Winsor felt warmth coming from inside her by his touch as they ran down Seventh and making a left onto Riverside.


	35. Place It Into Four Wheel Drive

City of the Dead

Ryan awoke in the back of a parked jeep, he was still on the same street that he crashed on. He raised up and saw hundreds of unmasked-armed soldiers. Unlike the cleaner troops, these men didn't wear helmets or black tactical gear. They all had beige colored pants and SWAT looking vests. For a minute Ryan thought that help had finally arrived, until he saw the Isis logo on a pack of supplies sitting next to him.

"Ryan Bartlett" A voice from his left called.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Lieutenant Kevin Keel, Isis recovery force, its come to my attention that you know about all that is going on" For a minute Ryan thought about gunning it out of there, until the soldier spoke again. "Its also come to my attention that Blair wants you dead or alive...But, with what we know about Blair, pardon my French, but Fuck Blair" The soldier smiled.

Ryan didn't trust them at all; they were still a part of the enemy.

"How long have you been in the city? Since the outbreak I mean" Keel asked.

"For about a couple of days, and don't play nice with me, I know what you're all about you fucking murders" Ryan said angrily.

"Let me tell you a story Ryan, when Blair and Isis united, Isis was experimenting with a miraculous wonder drug that boosted immunity and replicated white blood cells, it was ultimately the cure to all of the known viruses and diseases. Blair and Isis began research together, but a deranged scientist by the name of Piers spliced the formula and created the virus that has caused " The soldier explained.

"We've been onto Blair's plans for a while now, so we set up our prime research areas in the town of Gaines, we experimented with vaccines and cures to wipe out Piers' virus and it's spawn, but unfortunately there was an operative working for us, he informed Blair of our whereabouts and they immediately came here to obtain all our research" Keel said.

"But...Their work cannot be completed without our research and the embryos of all their B. O. W., that is why we are here, and I've been informed that someone named Jarred Orr, Nathan Law, and David Sunderland are vital to their plans, do you know them?" Keel asked.

For a minute Ryan hesitated to respond, he didn't trust them at all, and he didn't know if he should believe his story, but then again, it was backed up by all the information Ryan already knew. He thought for a minute and then spoke.

"Yeah I know them" He said reluctantly.

"Well, we have to keep them protected and as far away from Blair as we possibly can, do you know where they are right now?" Keel asked.

"Um...Not really, but I can find them" Ryan said holding back what he really knew.

"Well, here take some of our supplies, and take this radio, so we can keep in contact with you if you find them...I know its hard to trust us with the stuff you know, but believe me, we're only here to help" Keel said.

Ryan took several med kits and ammunition. Keel gave him a nod and Ryan ran off down the street, leaving the Isis troops behind. He had no idea if they had their own hidden agenda. Ryan was too confused to think about it, he set his sights on finding the others...

Dr.William Birkin

David stood on the street, doubled over and gasping for air. He had been running for what seemed like forever, trying to reach the bomb shelter entrance to city hall. But something didn't seem right to him...no...the cleaner troops had pulled back and left the barricades unmanned. David didn't like what he was seeing, and he knew the answers to his questions were closing in on him. Ducking behind a car he heard a jeep full of soldiers pass by. "So...looks like the Isis boys want to party." said one voice. "GOOD...I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A REAL FIGHT..chasing some civies around this shit water excuse for a town ain't my idea of a suppression operation!" responded the other soldier. "I hear you on that one.." laughed the other voice, and the jeep sped off. Well...now there's Isis here....just GREAT..my day just went from nightmare to living hell..... thought David, standing up slowly. He looked at the street sign. The rusted and bloodied marker read "Cotton Ave."

Pulling the charging handle back on the submachine gun, David pressed onward. He was tired, and he was angry, and soon he was going to show Markenson just how big a mistake he had made...Just hold on a little longer Alex...I'm coming......

The security monitors flashed the locations of the soldiers onto a positively morose director of security Markenson, project silver, the event he had dreaded the occurrence of ever since he'd heard of its existence, had just gone to hell. His troops were dead, one of his most promising recon personnel had gone rogue on him, and even if he was still in training, David Sunderland represented a major threat not just to Markenson personally, but to Blair itself. Markenson shook off his depressed thoughts, realizing he had to get out of here, had to kill Sunderland..had to escape. "Sir? Sir, I thought you might like to know that the target has just come into the perimeter of this installation..." said a soldier, handing Markenson a report. "Huh? Oh..right...well, that's just great...now we get to die by his hand...." said Markenson quietly. "DIE?! Don't make me laugh...that idiot couldn't hit anything if he tried...granted he was able to outflank some of your rookie cleaner troops, but once he hits the more...er..."experienced" guards we have patrolling around here..they will never even find his body.." replied Piers, still viewing this as some sick game of chess. KILL HIM....kill him...and then destroy this command post...take a squad..and get out..you can win this one Brian... thought Markenson, and he smiled for the first time all night. He would make it out of here alive...and Sunderland...Piers...the test subjects..they could all go to hell..and he would make sure they did....

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan ran pulling Winsor behind him. He fired a few rounds to clear the way and continued down Riverside.

"This way!" yelled Nath as he pulled her down First St. Taking a look she saw why. There were around a dozen or more zombies ahead blocking them. Nathan took a right onto Cherry St. came to a dead stop when he came to New St. There before them was the Police station. Nathan grinned at Winsor and rushed her over to it. Shooting a few zombie cops outside took the grin away from Nathan as he opened the entrance to the station.

"Now what?" Winsor asked.

"Now we find the garage and get us a car!"

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yup! As serious as I was about my feelings for you." he answered with a wink as he grabbed her hand again, not giving her the chance to comment, and started down the hallway to the underground parking. Having been here a few times with his father Nathan knew it well. After shooting a few cops and some civies he found the garage and started looking for keys. There were about 4 cars here but only two looked operational. One of them had no roof lights and looked unmarked. Nathan started searching the room next to it when Winsor walked in with her hand held out waving a set of key at him. With a smirk she said,..."Looking for these?"

Smiling Nathan rushed over to her taking the keys and smiled wide.

"Winsor I could kiss you!" he exclaimed.

Before she could say anything he spoke again,...."Actually I think I will." and with that he leaned over a stole a quick kiss before grabbing her hand again and leading her to the car.

"Come on!"

"Awww gawd. Don't kiss me again or I'll shoot you understand!?!" yelled Winsor.

Nathan looked at her and smiled.

"Fine shoot me later. Right now we are getting out of here!"

They both got into the car and started it up. With a roar the engine came to life and the car pulled away. Nathan stepping on the gas he started driving up Georgia Ave. towards the church when suddenly a man came running into view. Nathan swerved and slammed on the breaks. With a screech of rubber on asphalt the car came to rest as Ryan ran up and started banging on the window. Nathan looked up and smiled as Ryan opened the back door after Nathan unlocked it. He climbed in and smiled.

"Back ups here Nath but I'm not sure if we came trust them."

"What!?! Back up? Who? And where are the others?" Nathan asked.

Ryan explained what had happened and Nathan drove to the church. Nathan wasn't sure what to think about Isis. From what he knew they were all on the same side and just recently started fighting over who gets to announce their findings and claim the glory.

"What are we doin' here?" asked Ryan.

"Isn't this where everyone was headed? That's what David told me."

"No I dropped them off at the GPD!" Ryan replied.

"Shit!" Nathan exclaimed.

With a squeal of rubber on asphalt, Nathan spun the car around and raced back....

Jill Valentine

The tall Brick Building stood four stories high; revealing all it's power and significance to the City of Gaines. It shone magnificently under the pale moonlight, and the metallic glint of the letters which were positioned boldly across the front of the building read, "Gaines City Police Station."

Vanessa and John, holding a fatigued and half conscious Jarred, staggered into the building, hoping to find sanctuary from the evil torments that threatened their only chance of survival.

"Well, what are we going to do now? Half the cops in this building are probably already dead!" John cried, an anxious sign heaving from his exhausted chest.

"Probably?"Vanessa muttered, a smile curving up the corner of her lips. "They are dead my friend..."

John didn't seem too amused by her comment, but faked a smile anyway. His only security from the insanity that plagued the edge of his mind was laughter. Without laughter, nor a sense of humor, he would of already been out of his mind, and darn right crazy.

Their soft footsteps tapped lightly on the ceramic tiled floor; sending an ominous echo throughout the large, decently built lobby of the Police Station. In the center of the lobby, there stood a large oak reception desk, that stretched across the front of the lobby, curving slightly at the edges. Vanessa and John gently set Jarred to the ground, while they decided to explore the area more thoroughly.

"I'll check on the left, you check on the right ok?" John suggested, the slow easy hand movements signaling their positions.

Vanessa nodded in agreement, approaching the right side of the reception desk; a rotting, bloody corpse coming into view as she stepped forward.

"Ughh..that smell..."

Covering her mouth and nose, Vanessa drew the berretta from the slot in her, navy and white checkered skirt. With the trigger snuggly under her finger, her clench around the gun tightened as she hopped over the desk and into the police office...

"Look out!" came a painful moan from Jarred as he lay on the floor. Vanessa quickly spun around, her eyes widened in horror.

"What the fuck!?"

Raising her berretta higher, it met the painful gaze of another lost soul; a young rookie police officer that bared the exact same fearful glance in his eyes as she did.

"Wait," he cried, raising his arms up in a threatened gesture. "I'm a human! I'm...I'm a cop...don't shoot!"

Vanessa soften her facial expression, lowering her weapon, carefully examining the man's face. He had a long broad face, deep blue eyes covered by the short golden bangs that strung over his face, and there was a distinct scar that stretched across under his chin. He was a rather attractive looking man, but she had felt like she recognized him from somewhere, but she just didn't know where.

"Who are you? What's going on?"Vanessa demanded, still unsure of who the man was.

The man stuttered as he spoke, and it seemed that he was heavily shaken by whatever creatures he had encountered.

He identified himself cautiously.

"I'm...Richard Greenwood...."

Richard Greenwood? I know him, he used to work for my stepdad back at the station in George Town...We became really good friends before I had to move here, to Gaines..What is he doing here??

"Richard?" she said, surprised at his

response. "Richard it's me, Vanessa!"

Richard narrowed his eyes in a cautious gaze, before a wide grin plastered across his rugged expression.

"Vanessa!" he cried, scooping up her small body in a warm embrace. "It's good to see you!"

John had heard the threatened yelps, then the joyful cries, and quickly dashed out to see what all the commotion was about.

"What's going on here?" John asked, a stricken look plastered across his demanding expression.

"John, this is Richard, Richard this is John. And that's Jarred over there." Vanessa said, warmly introducing him to her new-found friends.

"Nice to meet you...Hey Jarred..sorry I scared you like that.."

Jarred had a crooked smile of disappointment creasing his wounded, bruised face.

"That's ok..." he replied through painful gurgles.

John and Richard formally shook hands, as Richard began to explain the situation.

"...and then this thing bit me, it hurt for a while, but I've grown immune to the pain some how.."

John and Vanessa stared blankly at Richard, as he blurted out the words. He was infected by a zombie. And it wouldn't be long until he had turned into one....

"Well you have to show me where you guys keep all the weapons and stuff...and I will also need ammunition, and first aid supplies." Vanessa asked, following Richard into the office which was set conveniently behind the reception.

"John, you stay here, and look after Jarred, I will be back as soon as possible."

"No way man, that guy can turn into one of them any second, I'm not leaving you alone with him!" John insisted.

Vanessa let out an aggravated sigh, pulling out her berretta.

"I've got protection. Anyway, we can't leave Jarred alone, you need to protect him. I promise you I'll be fine."

John nodded, slowly sitting down next to Jarred, watching Vanessa slowly disappear into the office....

-------------------------

-Thirty minutes later-

Vanessa had gathered most of the supplies in a convenient back pack which held all the weapons, ammunition, first aid and even some food that she and the others desperately needed. She cautiously watched out for Richard, incase he would turn on her; as his heavy breathing and increased temperature indicated the first steps of the horrific side-affects that would soon take place.

"Ahh.." Richard gasped, holding tightly onto his abdomen. "I have a burning pain..."

Vanessa slowly approached him, placing a firm, sympathetic grip on his shoulder.

"Are you alright? I think you need some serious medical attention..."

Vanessa knew she was lying just for his sake, but how else could you tell a friend of 5 years that he was going to turn into a mindless zombie? It was just too much for her to take...

Suddenly his skin turned a sickening purplish tint, and his pupils rolled to the back of his head, with lifeless veins throbbing all over his mutated body. Blood spurted out from his eyes and mouth, as he hungrily gripped onto Vanessa, releasing his weight over hers, knocking her to the ground.

"Noo!!" she screamed, tears falling from her fearful young eyes. "Get the fuck off me!"

With all her strength, she pushed the corpse away from her, not hesitating to run from it.

"Why does this always happen at a bad time?!" she muttered to herself, twisting and turning through long corridors as she desperately tried to find the exit to the lobby. Coming to an abrupt halt at the end of a hall, she glanced sideways noticing there was a three way intersection of two other corridors.

"Shit! Which way was it..Left or right..."

Her friend who was once Richard Greenwood was not far behind her, and Vanessa had to make her decision fast if she wanted to make it back to Jarred and John alive.

"Fuck it!" she screamed, turning into the right hallway, sprinting as fast as she could. Still running, she burst through the door at the end of the hall, heavily landing on the slanted carpet floor that descended down into the main office.

"Gotta go now, gotta go fast, don't stop.." she chanted to herself, breathlessly sprinting through the narrow, curvy pathway created by the numerous rows of desks and computers covered with thousands of stacks of documents and papers. Typical Rookie desks they were... Before exiting the office, Vanessa noticed a picture of her step-father and Richard sitting on one of the end desks; the silver, metallic spark of the car keys catching the reflection in her eye.

"Yes, thank you Richie!"

Grabbing the keys, Vanessa shoved the picture in the slit of her skirt, exiting the office and running into the lobby.

John and Jarred were still safe; they had fallen asleep from such a long wait for her return.

"Guys, get up!" Vanessa yelled, her voice booming around the hallow lobby."We gotta go now, I got us transport and supplies, and we can get to the church!"

John winced at the tall figure that stood over him, recognizing that Vanessa had returned.

"Ughh, ok...let's go then!"

Scooping Jarred up from his sitting position, Vanessa and John headed towards the exit of the Police station.

"Shit which car is it...." Vanessa muttered, peering around the parking lot. "Well, here goes nothing..."

Pressing the immobilize button, a high pitched beep sounded the car's security system; a silver BMW-A432 in sight.

"There we are, going to the church in style!"

John smiled to himself as he and Vanessa dragged Jarred over to the fancy-looking vehicle. Gently placing Jarred in the comfortable, gray leather seats that lined the back of the car, Vanessa jumped into the driver's seat, fixing the mirrors to her suitability.

"Have you ever driven a car before?" John asked, anxiously pulling the seatbelt over his shoulder.

"Yeah," she replied, turning the key in the ignition, hearing the locomotive spark sound the car's engine. "And the first time I crashed."

John gulped, swallowing back the build up of fear in his throat; he was not too sure if it was such a good idea that Vanessa drive.

"I think I should drive..." John pleaded.

"No, it's fine...I won't kill you, cause then I will kill me!" she joked, slamming her foot down on the accelerator. A high pitched screech of the tires was followed by a trail of gray smoke emerging from the back, as the car smoothly glided around the corner, speeding down the highway. She prayed that Ryan was alright, and had safely found his way to the church. There was also a tight feeling of hope that welled up in her stomach, for she didn't want to encounter that Nemesis monster on the way, since she knew that was the one way she would get them killed....fear....


	36. Forgettable And Unforgivable

Dr.William Birkin

The cold night stretched out endlessly in front of David, but he couldn't stop, he had to keep going, farther into the depths of the unrelenting, unfeeling hell that Gaines had become. His thoughts stalked and nagged at his presence of mind non stop...conflicting figments of the situation all eventually adding up to one inescapable mantra, repeated a million times in the depths of his consciousness..._You are a failure, and now you've REALLY screwed yourself over, death is what you deserve... ._ Reaching the end of Cotton Ave, he saw the edifice of the city hall looming above him like a haunted house out of an old horror movie. The stone and marble exterior showed signs of its late 19th century construction. Tightening his shaking grip on the browning hi-power, he made sure the Beretta and Ingram had enough ammunition in them, and walked up the cold stone steps...

The door creaked open to reveal an empty office where once there had been an overflow of local business to be conducted, The dim glow of David's flashlight..the only thing that stood out was a trail of blood, leading to a slaughtered troopers body. Death had come to city hall, and now David was right in the middle of this....

Markenson's eyes glazed over as he saw three other bodies at the guard posts, the hunters had apparently found their way into the upper levels of the building. _They'll never get in here,_.... he thought, smiling at the fact that Blair had thought to convert the bomb shelter areas beneath the government buildings into control facilities. "Piers..our friend Sunderland is here...let's let the rat know he's closing in on the cheese....". "Consider it done...". replied Piers, walking off to the holding cell down the hall.

The intercom crackled with static, causing David to turn and aim his weapon. He froze at the next thing he heard, a cry of terror, and a plea for help. _No...if they hurt her.... . _"David....if you're wondering..yes, that is her...and yes, she is here....come on down here Sunderland...we've got a BIG surprise for you!!!" bellowed Piers over the intercom, followed by an insane cackle.

"Its done...he's on his way now...." said piers into a wall mounted radio. "Excellent..make sure that the subject behaves according to the plan...we need her to be fully conscious when he arrives...just slightly more vacant mentally..." replied Markenson. The door opened, and 4 doctors came in with assorted ivs and syringes. Piers smiled an evil, malicious smile. "Commence the mental restructuring...." laughed Piers, before dropping into a fit of hysterical and psychotic howling laughter.

The maze was open, the bait was set, and the rat was about to run to it....

Infinity-X

David slowly walked down a hallway looking for Alex. He knew they wouldn't make it easy for him. Their plan was still working, and he was still falling for it.

"Why can't they just go to hell!"

David slammed his fist into the wall. He then heard a voice on the intercom again,

"Oh, good...your almost here"

then he heard another psychotic laugh.

**meanwhile......**

A scientist pushed a needle with a strange colored fluid into Alex's arm. When it went into her unconscious body she jerked. About a minute later she started to regain consciousness. Markenson then walked onto the cell....

"Hahaha....miss, do you know who you are, and do you know who David is?"

Alex couldn't quite open her eyes, and she was breathing heavily.

"....I'm Alex...Alexandra....and,..who, who is David?.."

she tried to say, but she went unconscious again. A smirk formed on Markenson's face...

"Heh..good, just a little longer...."

Claire Redfield

With buildings, sidewalk, and the occasional zombie becoming blurs as Nathan sped down the streets, Winsor was starting to grow tired of playing "hide 'n seek". Everyone would split up and then they would have to find each other which is quite tiring.

Nathan made a sharp turn almost sending Winsor and Ryan out of their seats if they didn't have their seatbelts on.

"We shouldn't be going this fast," Ryan said with a groan. "If something is in front of us..."

"Nothing will be in front of us," Nathan said smiling. "And if something is in front of us, it will probably be a zombie or something."

Winsor sighed and closed her eyes. She was very tired. They all were. If they found the others, they would have to find a safe place to spend the night. The church or the police station seemed safe...

__

But that isn't bugging you is it? It's Nathan and the others....Admit it, Sam. You like them.....

No, she wouldn't make herself that positive. She wanted to isolate herself from everyone. She was afraid of caring for someone and then losing them or them rejecting her. It would break her heart...

__

If I have one...If I didn't I would be stillborn, her mind said sarcastically, but she knew that she was getting soft. She hated the feeling, yet something wanted her to make her like it. She wasn't sure, but she thought it was Nathan that made her feel that way.

With her eyes still closed, a light hit her eyelids and she opened them, just enough to be blinded. She was blinded for a few seconds, but she wasn't deaf.

"OH SHIT!" Ryan shouted.

"WHOA!" Nathan shouted also. He swerved the car to the side. The smell of burning rubber and the screeching of tires filled the silent air. There was another chorus of screeching tires nearby. Winsor could only think that they had almost collided with another car-

-and their car slammed into a brick building on Winsor's side. They felt it shake and heard the metal crunch, signaling that the passenger's side door would not have the ability to be opened.

The three of them were gasping for air, sweating from a near death, not from a monster, but from an everyday car. Their eyes were wide with shock, fear, and relief. Nathan put his head on the steering wheel and Ryan laid back into his seat.

"Mgrlph... what a ride," Ryan whispered loudly enough for Nathan and Winsor to hear.

"Shut up," Winsor snapped. She was still in shock from their crash.

Nathan lifted his head from the steering wheel. "I think I seen the others in that car. I'm not sure. Did you guys see anything?"

"Nothing," Ryan sighed.

"Only my life flashing before my eyes and I just realized it was boring. Except for the water part," Winsor said and sneaked a small smile at Nathan.

Nathan smiled back and looked forward. Three people were jogging to the car. Actually, two of them were lifting someone up in between them.

"It's the others," Nathan said and opened the door.

"Can we make this quick. I hate to rush things, but we are in a city full of zombies and bio-genetic creatures and we are out in the open," Ryan said, making Winsor remember about Pier's men after them.

Winsor nodded in agreement and they both got out of the car on the driver's side.

"Hey, you guys alright?" Vanessa asked.

"You were behind the wheel? Figures," Winsor muttered and looked back at their car. The right side was crushed somewhat and it was stuck on some broken metal and stone. It wasn't going anywhere.

"No sign of...Alex or David...?" Ryan asked weakly.

"No Alex, but we seen David. I think we shouldn't trust him," Nathan said.

"Why?" John asked. He shifted Jarred's arm on his shoulders.

"He's been acting weird and he's hiding something from us."

A sudden chorus of moans came from behind them. The zombies were coming. Winsor looked at a nearby street sign. They were on Georgia Ave. They had a choice to go to the church ahead of them or to the police station behind them, where the moans sounded like they were coming from.


	37. The Nemesis In The House Of God

This is another chapter that contains a picture drawn by COTD. . .I don't know if it works so don't complain to me if it doesn't. Copy and paste, you know the drill.

Dr.William Birkin

The basement hallway finally terminated at a large door with a nuclear trefoil symbol on it, up until now it had been one of David's favorite symbols, now it was just another signpost on the road to death. Calmly opening the door, he stepped into another hallway, lit by red emergency lighting, and leading to a heavy blast door. "The fallout shelter...looks like I'm finally here..." he said, cautiously walking down the subterranean passage, Ingram readied, the thudding of his feet echoing through the tunnels, abandoned since the 50's except for Blair's activities. Walking to the large half open blast door, he cautiously entered. Fluorescent lighting snapped on illuminating industrial and sanitized looking hallways, the extent of the modifications to the shelter were obvious. Another intercom snapped to life, psychopathic laughter echoed off of the reinforced steel walls of the bunker. "Welcome!!!! If you thought you'd had it hard up until now you'll love what we've got set up for you now..." screamed Piers in his mocking voice, "And remember...do not fail or we shall kill the girl..and trust me, I have no problems with doing it..." more laughter spouted from the intercom, just reinforcing David's anger. ..Bastard..I'm going to like putting a bullet in his brain... thought David.

The tank in the basement lab gurgled empty, the embryonic fluid having drained, piers hit another key and the massive, claw fisted creature, dripping in the red preserve began to wake, its enormous heart pounding now, its eternally white eyes blinking open. "Welcome to hell Sunderland..." muttered Piers as he programmed the mission into the creatures waiting brain...

Markenson loaded his glock, the time had come, he needed to eliminate piers, his use had ended and now Sunderland had arrived. "Sir? What's going on, you seem disturbed" remarked the soldier guarding his office. Markenson turned, his eyes cold and merciless, reflecting the homicidal agenda he had. "Oh..I'm just fine...I just have to go correct a mistake...." he said coldly, walking out...

City of the Dead

All of a sudden, an unrelenting barrage of gunshots forever silenced the cries of the zombies. Winsor turned to see three army jeeps turn the corner slowly, several men also marched by them.

"Oh shit!!!!" Nathan said readying his assault rifle.

"No, no, stay calm" Ryan said. He knew it wasn't the cleaners, the Isis troops were moving in.

Everyone nervously stood still as the troops and vehicles came in closer, until a man in his mid twenties walked up to them.

"Well, I see you've found them Ryan, good job" the man said eyeing the other survivors. "Which one of you are Nathan Law and Jarred Orr?" He asked out loud.

"What do you want with us?" Nathan called out.

"Your Nathan right?" He asked. "And I take it the injured one is Jarred, don't worry about him, he'll probably be fully healed by the morning" He said casually.

"What are you talking about? What is going on here?" Vanessa asked.

"Blair is after Jarred because of his unique genetic structure and blood type, he is almost regenerative, he can heal twice the speed of a normal human, almost overnight" He smiled. "And Blair wants Nathan because of the antidote, which he carries in his veins"

"How do you know all this?" John asked.

"Because, I'm part of the Isis Recovery Team, some of us were sent to gather up survivors, others were sent to clean up Blair's mess" the uniformed man said. "Oh sorry guys, I forgot to introduce myself, My name is Kevin Keel, Lieutenant of the Isis Recovery Team" Keel said. "The church is a safe haven, why don't you guys camp out there for the night, and I'll position some men to watch over it" Keel proposed an interesting offer.

Everyone stood still for a second, not knowing what to say, not knowing whether or not to trust Keel and his story.

"Hell, I'm getting sick of walking, let's go on in guys" Jarred's scratchy voice rang out.

"Okay guys, don't you worry, you'll be safe there tonight, but I'm afraid it's goodbye for now, rest easy" Keel said walking away from them. They watched him sprint back to the cluster of military jeeps that had parked in front of the church.

"Well, lets go on in you guys" Ryan said stepping up onto the marble stairwell that lead to the church's entrance. St. Joseph was historic, over a hundred years old. From the outside, it was huge, gigantic twin spires rose up over two hundred feet into the air, both topped with golden crosses. A huge sphere of stained glass sat imbedded into the wall just above the wooden double-doors that led inside.

"I hate church" Winsor said gazing up towards the neo-gothic Romanesque temple. "Nice building though" She added.

Ryan felt a couple of raindrops strike his arms.

__

Heh, rain, could things get any more difficult?

He shook off the thought and entered the double-doors.

The Inside of the church was about as grand as the outside. At least fifty Stained glass windows each, depicting scenes from the bible, were the only means of outside light to come in, at least whoever was there last was nice enough to leave the lights on. Huge concrete pillars rose at least 80 feet to meet a dome shaped ceiling. The exquisite altar was covered with candles. None of them lit.

"Hold on guys, I'll be right back" Ryan said, hopping over a church seat and running into the door on his left.

Everyone sat down and rested their aching muscles. Jarred laid his head down on Vanessa's lap, he stared up at her with puppy dog eyes, trying to look pitiful.

"Awww, poor baby" She joked.

Jarred smiled and shut his eyes. He seemed to be doing better, he could see again and almost walk on his own.

CRASHHH

Everyone jerked up out of their comfortable positions and prepared themselves for battle. But instead, Ryan came walking out of that room with an armful of snacks and beverages. It was obvious that he had knocked over some candy machine in the other room.

"Come on everyone, dinner is served" Ryan said.

Everyone's mouths watered, they hadn't eaten anything in days, and the sight of food was enough to send them into a stupor, similar to the zombies. Ryan passed out bagged chips and sodas, everyone eagerly tearing into their food.

For the remainder of the night, the exhausted group of survivors would converse and get to know each other a little better. It was a much needed break from the horror that had been going on outside. The rain outside would turn into a storm, and thunder would roar on throughout the night, but inside St. Joseph church, everything was calm...

3:30 A.M.

Vanessa awoke to the sound of earth shattering thunder, surrounded by empty candy wrappers and soda cans. The rain had calmed to a mere drizzle. She shivered and looked around the room. Everyone else was still asleep. She remembered Jarred had fallen asleep next to her, but he was nowhere to be found. After looking around for a minute or two, she saw a light coming from the doorway Ryan smashed the snack machine in earlier. She stood up and went into the lounge room. There was no sign of Jarred, just a smashed vending machine, and a red tinted painting of the church on the wall.

http://www.neotyrannical.8k.com/church.gif

Vanessa sighed and focused her attention towards another trail of open doors and stairways. Eventually, she was lead into the attic. An intricate system of ropes and bells surrounded her like a maze. She felt a chill and saw an open window not too far away. She slowly made her way over to it and looked outside.

"Jarred" She called.

"Over here"

She looked to her left and saw Jarred sitting out on the roof in the rain.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" She laughed.

"Just...looking over the town" He said pointing towards the many lights of the city.

"But its raining" She said back to him.

"It doesn't bother me" Jarred said still staring forward.

Vanessa crawled out the window and carefully made her way to Jarred. He draped his arm around her and they both took in the view. Several streaks of lightning struck in the distance and thunder rolled in soon afterwards. The smell of moisture and a cold wind set the mood.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Jarred asked.

"The town?" She asked.

"Yeah, from up here, you can't even tell anything is wrong" Jarred said.

Vanessa looked upon her town, a cluster of buildings, orange and white lights made up the picture in front of them. He was right, it was beautiful, and the whole town could be seen. Coleman hill clock tower stood high above downtown, along with a few other business buildings. It was hard to believe everything that had happened to Gaines.

"Jarred..." Vanessa said.

"Yeah?" Jarred asked. Vanessa laid her head down on his shoulder and held his hand.

"Promise me, that if...We make it out of town, and we get separated somehow, we'll wait for each other" She said.

"We'll find each other...I know it" She said again.

"I promise" Jarred said holding her close.

5:45 A.M.

"What the hell was that?" Nathan awoke to the sounds of gunfire. It had shocked everyone out of their slumber, and Nathan stood up as another clasp of thunder sounded. Nathan heard screams coming from outside.

"What the hell is that thing?" He heard someone yell, it must have been the guards that Keel spoke of. Whoever it was, something was going on.

Then another barrage of gunshots was heard, followed by a familiar roar.

"Oh no, why now?" John said to himself, still very tired.

Screams, gunfire, and the low wailing of a creature, everyone was too familiar with, was just outside.

Then without warning, the huge circular stained glass window that stood over the entrance door, shattered into a million pieces, hit by an incoming object. Everyone screamed and ducked to the floor. Whatever it was that had flown through the window landed right next to Ryan, he opened his eyes and looked upon the bloody torso of one of an Isis soldier, an expression of pure horror still etched onto his lifeless face. Then, the huge wooden church doors shattered into toothpicks, and in walked the Nemesis, it's purple tentacles flailing wildly. As it walked in towards the group, a door to the left opened, and in came Jarred and Vanessa, weapons in hand. Winsor wanted to say something sarcastic; but then again, this wasn't exactly the time for it, the nemesis slowly walked towards the survivors. Nathan readied himself for a showdown with the hideous creature...

Carlos Oliveira

Steadying himself Nathan pulled the stock close to his shoulder and depressed the trigger. The room was alive with the sound of gunfire as Nathan watched the rounds peppering it's face. Winsor started firing alongside him as did Ryan and John. Vanessa and Jarred stood their ground by the door and jumped in firing a deadly barrage of fast, hot, metal. Nemesis howled and dropped into a crouch.

"GET THEM OUTTA HERE RYAN!! NOW!!" screamed Nathan as he reloaded.

"Not this time Nath! We all go home or nobody goes home!" Ryan replied as he held his ground firing again.

Nemesis charged forward from his position with lightning speed. John yelled to get out of the way but Nathan and Ryan were already moving. Nathan grabbing Winsor's arm pulling her from her feet to the side and Ryan ducking and rolling left. Nemesis blew by in a rush tearing the floor where they once stood.

"LETS GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!!" yelled Jarred as he grabbed Vanessa's arm and started running to the now shattered door. John was a step behind him as was Winsor. Ryan started but stopped when he saw Nathan standing his ground.

Winsor turned and screamed at Nathan to get out. She started back towards him.

"What the hell are you doing?" she yelled.

"Saving your ass now get out!!" Nathan replied as he dropped the rifle and drew the twin 9's and started drawing Nemesis away from the others. Ryan started towards Nathan when suddenly Nathan was aiming at.....him!

In a quiet voice Nathan spoke,..."Ryan. Get them out now please. I'm counting on you. Get Winsor out."

Ryan stopped and stared at Nathan knowing full well what he was thinking. Turning he grabbed Winsor and started dragging her out.

"No! Stop! Let me go! Nathan no!!" she screamed as Ryan dragged her back to the door.

"Let's go now!" yelled John as he started up one of the jeeps.

"No we can't leave him! No! Nathan please don't do this!!" Winsor screamed again. She saw him mouth the words _'I love you'_ before Nemesis was blocking her view. She fought against Ryan but he was stronger then her. Pulling her into the jeep they sped off leaving Nathan alone.

"Why are we leaving him? We have to go back! What's wrong with you people!?!?" she screamed.

No-one answered for a moment. Ryan finally spoke up. "He's tougher then he looks Winsor. He's gotten out of tighter spots then this he'll be ok."

Nathan reloaded as Nemesis started howling again. He turned and ran up to the roof. Hearing the doors behind him being torn apart scared him nearly to death but he kept running. Reaching the roof he slowly crept along the top to the center of the twin bell towers. Nemesis a step behind him.

John stopped the jeep and hopped out staring at the church.

"Look! There he is!" John yelled pointing.

They all looked up and saw Nathan traversing the rooftop as Nemesis stumbled behind. Nathan was aiming again and firing. Nemesis seeming not to notice started towards him again.

"Why is he doing this?!?" Winsor cried through tears.

"Because,...he can't be infected, but all of us can." Replied Ryan in a quiet voice as he watched the drama unfold before his eyes.

Nathan missed a step and slipped from view. Vanessa gasped as Jarred held her face to his shoulder. John turned away not wanting to see another die. Winsor stood transfixed as she watched Nemesis continue walking to where Nathan was standing.

Nathan's foot slipped and he was suddenly falling. Reaching over he managed to grab a roofing tile. One of the 9's falling away. Nemesis was standing above his suddenly. Its white eyes staring in victory as it reached down for him.

"Go ahead you piece of shit! Kill me!" Nathan yelled.

As Nemesis reached for his arm Nathan brought his other arm around and started unloading the clip into it's ankle. The bones shattering into pieces as it started to slip. It fell hard and tumbled down beside him. Nathan didn't wait to hear it hit the ground, instead he started pulling himself up.

As they watched Nemesis reach down suddenly it was falling as the sound of gunfire erupted again. Ryan shouted in victory as Nemesis fell and Nathan climbed into view. Nathan scaled the rooftop back to the tower and disappeared into it. A few moments later he sprinted to a halt before them gasping for air. Winsor ran up and smacked him hard. Then suddenly she was hugging him tightly. His own arms came around embracing her right back.

"Don't you ever leave me like that again or I'll kill you myself." she whispered into his ear. Pulling back she let herself go and kissed him deeply.

John let out a low whistle as he watched with the rest as Winsor planted one on him.

"Well what d.." He was cut off as Ryan clamped a hand over his mouth telling him this was not the time. John seemed to understand and kept quiet.

When she let him go Nathan felt like he was in another world. Jarred's voice brought him out of it.

"Well now where do we go?"


	38. The Agreement Of The Survivors

Dr.William Birkin

The elevator doors slid open, level three, the bottom of the shelter and the center of the maelstrom. David walked out, browning hi power aimed and ready. Another labyrinth of corridors greeted him. Walking forward he heard voices. Piers and Markenson...

Edging forward, he knelt beneath a window looking into a large lab and overheard the conversation.

Piers stared down the barrel of the glock which Markenson had shoved into his face. "Don't do this..it's not necessary!". "Its too late...the survivors are in the church..Isis is here, we are as good as dead...You did this to us you maniac...I'm going to enjoy sending you to hell..." laughed Markenson, enjoying Piers' fearful expression. "Too late you idiot..the tyrant is out...kill me and NOTHING can stop it..." laughed Piers. The glock lowered, Markenson backed off and sighed "How convenient for you..well...you've postponed your death warrant for a few hours I suppose...anyway...we should begin cleaning up our mess...kill the prisoner, Sunderland's probably dead by now..". Piers nodded and hit a button.

Down the hall a guard nodded after receiving the transmission and began walking towards the holding cell...

David stood up, loaded his Ingram and ran full speed down the hallway. Turning the corner he ran directly into the gun sights of three guards on patrol...

"HOLD IT!" screamed one of the guards, aiming his ak74. David began to lower his weapon. But before he could, a roar shook the hallway. The first sweeper BOW had failed Markenson, but the second wouldn't...

Joker

"Sir! This is Echo Team! We are under heavy B.O.W. attack! We need assista..."

The link went dead with the sound of Echo Team's lead sergeant screaming out in agony, the sound of his pain replaced with the sound of static. Keel's brow furrowed... how did Blair pinpoint their position so fast?!?

It had been about 20 minutes since Echo Team's last communique. If a B.O.W. was involved, that almost certainly meant the entire team had been wiped out. His failed attempts to get any kind of status report merely proved that. Echo Team was assigned to security detail on St. Joseph's Church, the very same place two of his three mission objectives were, along with a menagerie of others. But, for all he knew, they were dead too. "Fuck!", Keel spat. His mission was basically a failure. Two of three mission objectives were more than likely dead. The third was missing.

"Wait!", Keel thought, some hope entering his mind. He gave a radio to one of the youths... Ryan Bartlett, wasn't it?

Quickly grabbing the radio and setting it to Ryan's radio channel, he tried to get a response from Ryan...

----------------------------------------

Ryan watched with the others as Winsor and Nathan "exchanged pleasantries".

John let out a low whistle as he watched with the rest as Winsor planted one on him.

"Well what d.." He was cut off as Ryan clamped a hand over his mouth telling him this was not the time. John seemed to understand and kept quiet.

But, for what Ryan heard, he knew what John was going to say, or, at least, what he meant.

"So, the Ice Queen can warm up to someone after all", Ryan silently mused to himself. Winsor had finally found someone she could become attached to. Normally, Ryan would have chalked it up to Nathan trying to flirt outrageously, but Winsor seemed to give as good as she got.

Jarred finally interrupted the moment.

"Well, now where do we go?"

----------------------------------------

Within the Church...

"Ryan... Ryan, are you there?", the radio inside crackled.

Keel could hear nothing but static. Either Ryan had lost the radio or he was dead. If it was the latter, it was a safe bet the others were too.

"Might as well find out...", Keel thought to himself, hoping that the radio had just been lost.

----------------------------------------

Back on the street...

"Well, where can we go?", John asked. "We've been to the GPD, that place is as dead as they come, I tell you."

Vanessa nodded her agreement with John's statement, looking somewhat saddened at the thought of her old friend Richard, now part of the unholy crusade to murder and devour the living.

"Ok, so not there", Ryan said. "Rose Hill Cemetery is nearby, but I seriously doubt anyone wants to enter the 'Lion's Den'..."

Ryan almost felt like laughing at the very fact he even brought it up. His mirth soon faded as he realized everyone else was not so good-humored about his suggestion.

"Or there's the Gaines News Station...", Ryan said quickly, trying to end the awkward moment.

"Why the hell would we want to go there?!?", Jarred asked. "There's nothing that can help any of us there. Besides, I hate the limelight."

"Not me", Nathan chimed in, much to the laughter of the others.

"Who said they'd want you to be filmed?", Ryan retorted. "We can get the word out to the public. We can make sure that everyone knows about the fuck-up Blair made here."

"Why should we?", Winsor asked.

"Because, if we do, we can make sure that every Joe Average of every town makes it their mission to run Blair the fuck out of town. Every town. We can shut them down completely in 10 minutes...", Ryan explained.

"...So this shit will never happen again", Jarred finished. He had to admit, it was a good idea.

"So, are we in agreement?", Nathan asked. Everyone seemed willing.

----------------------------------------

Sierra Team had just finished their sweep of the area surrounding the church. Moving inside, the luminescence of the weapon-mounted tactical lights pierced the dark shadowy recesses of St. Joseph's. Rubble and broken glass marred the usually clean interior of the church, blood trails and body parts bringing defilement and sacrilege to a holy place.

After being satisfied that the search was thorough, Sergeant Farrell keyed his radio to report the situation.

"Sir, this is Sierra Team, we've got one hell of a mess down here. Echo Team's basically been made a graffiti mural in this place. They're all KIA..."

Keel was jolted from his wandering state of mind by the radio call.

"What about the survivors we picked up? Any sign of them?"

Sgt. Farrell looked to his team for confirmation. All shook their heads.

"That's a negative, sir. Survivors unaccounted for."

Keel sighed, almost with relief, as he heard the news. The loss of Echo Team was a tragedy, but the youths weren't amongst the dead. His objectives were not among the dead. That could only mean one thing.

Looking up as if he was staring into the heavens itself, he whispered...

"There is a God..."

Carlos Oliveira

Everyone piled into the jeep as John started it up. It was a tight squeeze but they all managed to get in. John stepped on the gas and they sped away. A short while later they arrived at the news station. John parking out front they climbed out and started for the door. Nathan lighting a smoke as he opened the door with his free hand. The six youths headed inside only to find that someone or thing had been there first.

"Well I guess this means I don't get my close up?" John quipped.

"Oh you'd get your close up alright John, but only if we knew for sure your looks wouldn't break the camera!" Winsor snickered.

Nathan tried to muffle his laughter but couldn't.

"Muff,....muuu.. Bah! Ha ha ha! Damn that was good!"

"Oh ya? Well at least I'm not sucking face with mister jock'o over there!" John shot back unable to hold his remark .

"Jock'o!?! You trying to start somethin' John?" Nathan asked taking a very deliberate step towards John.

"Whoa guys...." started Ryan.

"What if I am? You gonna do somethin' about it? Or is she?" he said pointing to Winsor.

"Wanna take it outside punk? I'll be more then happy to give you an attitude adjustment!" said Nathan in a heated tone.

"Sure lets g....!" John started.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP BOTH OF YOU!!! YOUR ACTING LIKE GODDAMN CHILDREN WITH SOMETHIN' TO PROVE WHILE PEOPLE AROUND US ARE DYING!!" yelled Ryan finally angry enough to raise his voice. He really didn't know who would win but from what he knew about Nathan and his Father he wasn't sure John would last long,...but then again he really didn't know John that well either.

"Your right Ryan. Sorry John. I'm...just a little stressed that's all. This isn't what I had in mind when my father said we were moving to Gaines." Nathan answered looking to John.

"Your right. Sorry Nath. I'm just stressed too I guess. Sorry Winsor." John replied.

Winsor just stood there glaring at him as Nathan pulled her close.

"Com' on guys. We've got work to do." Jarred said.

They started walking towards the back while Nathan held Winsor back.

"I'm sorry about what John said Sam. He was outta line. I know this is hard for you. It's hard for me too......but ya know if we let him get to us then were never gonna find out how far we can go together right? If anyone starts anything just shoot off a comment about Nessa and Jarred. That'll shut them all up ok?"

"Your right Nath but he pisses me off! I wish a zombie would just come along and eat him!" she said through clenched teeth.

"Hee hee that would be funny but I really think he's a good guy. It's just like your saying though sweety,.....'We are all from different clicks in the school'. But ya know what?"

"What?" she huffed.

"I'd rather be in your click then his." Nathan finished smiling and adding a wink.

"Let's just get this over with Sam. And after maybe we can start our lives over,...together. I don't have anyone else left for me,....except you. I don't want to lose you because of what John or anyone else thinks. Lina did that to me once and I couldn't handle it again. After this is over how's about we work on me and you and not what other people think?" Nathan asked.

"We'll see. If we ever get out of this nightmare. I'd like that a lot Nath. But I swear if your toying with me I'll hunt you down and kill you myself!!" she shout out.

Nathan smiles and laughed,.."Does this help boost you confidence in me?" he asked as he pulled her close and kissed her deeply. His arms holding her tightly as she clung to him.

Nathan pulled away and she smiled.

"Just remember what I said that's all. And for now can we keep this away from the others. The last thing I need is their attitudes!"

"Not a problem." Nathan answered back smiling.

Together they headed for the back room.

Ryan was trying to figure out the controls for the broadcasting system while Vanessa and Jarred went looking for a camera.

"Dammit! This thing isn't working!" Ryan said in frustration.

"Did you turn it on?" asked John.

"What?!? I though it was on?"

John walked over and turned a dial until it clicked. Nothing happened.

"That's odd? Power must be out." he suggested.

"Well don't these places have back-ups for emergencies?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah they do. Should be downstairs." John replied.

Nathan and Winsor walked in and strolled up to the control board.

"What's goin' on?" Nathan asked.

"Powers out, but there should be a back-up downstairs." said John.

"Well just show me the way and I'll have you up and running in no time." Nathan stated with a smile.

"It's in the basement. Just go through the first door we passed in here and go down the stairs, ya can't miss it,....it's the one marked "Basement"" he laughed.

"Ha ha very funny. Se you guys in a bit." he said as he started towards the door.

"Hey I'll go with you." said Winsor as she sprinted towards him.

Ryan shot a look to John to make sure he didn't say anything stupid to break the peace. John seemed to get the hint and kept quiet.

Vanessa pressed Jarred to the wall and smiled deeply into his eyes.

"It's about time I got you alone."

"Ha ha! you got me alone? I thought I was getting you alone?" he answered back.

Together they shared a look before Jarred placed his lips to hers and started to pull her tighter against himself. They were stopped by John's voice.

"Hey guys? What's taking so long? There's got to be dozens of cameras in here!" as he strolled around the corner.

Vanessa backed away just before John came into view. He looked dumbly between the two before speaking,....."I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

"You wish." Vanessa said with a roll of her eyes.

"Lets find a camera and get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps." said Jarred as he started looking for a light switch.


	39. Questions From The Unsure

Dr.William Birkin

David saw the three guards stunned slightly by the monstrous roar, and realized he had his chance. Dropping to one knee he aimed the Ingram and pulled the trigger, sweeping the almost uncontrollable machine pistol across the line of enemies, raking the three with automatic fire and laughing loudly as their bodies fell back onto the cold floor. _"God...will they EVER start training these people to fight??!" _he thought, walking past the slumped guards to interrogation room #3

The door opened slowly, Alexandra squinted through the darkness of the room to see who it was, instead she was able to hear what was happening. "HALT RIGHT THERE!" screamed the door guard. "No chance in hell you butcher..." replied a cold, calm voice, and gunfire echoed off the walls followed by a thud. "Who's there?" screamed Alex, shaking visibly as the unnamed gunman walked into the dimly illuminated cone caused by the single bulb. "Alex? Are you ok? It's me...David...". Alex looked at him confused "Who? You look familiar but....do...do I know you?" she said quietly. "Are you feeling ok?" David said, fear beginning to sound itself in his voice. He then noticed the open file and the syringe on the ground nearby. _No.......no they didn't....oh dear god this can't be happening. _Closing his eyes, David backed off shaking his head before the speaker began to sound. "Sunderland....I see you've encountered the remains of Dr. Piers' work...I objected myself, I wanted her to be programmed to attempt to kill you...much more ironic that way..but...I can only hope for so much..." Markenson's voice echoed throughout the empty hallway and the room. "Oh...little news flash to brighten your day before you're killed..those survivors you found? They are about to die as well..I'm sure you weren't to fond of them, god knows I wasn't...anyway, its been nice knowing you..the sweeper BOW will be along to end your existence any moment now." laughed Markenson, switching off the intercom. David slumped to the ground, head hung, he had been trapped, Alex now didn't even know who he was, and his certain death was heading for him...

Markenson laughed loudly, opening another communications line..this one patched through to the news station. "WELCOME TO MY LITTLE MAZE YOU INSIGNIFICANT CHILDREN!" screamed Markenson into the intercom, his eyes lighting up as he watched the shocked reactions over the blurred television screens, slightly regretting the signal transmitter had been damaged in the gunfight earlier that night. "You haven't met me yet..allow me to introduce myself...I am security director Brian Markenson..yes..the same Markenson whose been keeping a close eye on this town for some time now..if your wondering how the hell I have access to the intercom system...ask Sunderland..oh..wait..I forgot..HE'S DEAD!" more laughter sounded over the speakers "Him and that other one..the girl..Alexandra was it? Dead...and you'll be joining them soon. You think the nemesis was the only surprise I had in store for you? Wrong..there's yet another creature coming...once it finishes with your wayward friends..it's going to come for you..enjoy your last few hours of life..enjoy trying to warn the rest of the world..in the end it'll all be for nothing..I'm getting impatient with you people, and that's not good for ANY of you.." the intercom closed, Markenson's insane laughter echoing above the static marring the transmission, the halls of the studio went silent, as did the halls of the bomb shelter...

Jill Valentine

The room was dark and cold. Vanessa, Jarred and John wondered through the "director's room," in the hopes to find a camera. Jarred blindly ran his hands over the hard, pale, plaster walls; a small rectangular lump was felt, indicating the light switch for the darkened room. Flicking the switch downwards, the room was only fairly brightened by a dull rusty light bulb the swinging off the ceiling, making a faint metallic squeak in the silence of the room.

"Hrmmm,"John muttered cautiously eyeing the room. "I'm gonna go check that store room over there."

As John walked off towards the storage room, Vanessa looked over at the exit, noticing a small camera hanging off one of the small wooden shelves positioned by the exiting door.

"There's a camera!" Vanessa cried, sighing in relief as she paced over to get it. Gently picking up the small digital camera, that appeared to be moderately new, she dusted it off and peered through the lenses.

"I think it hasn't been used in a while, although it's a 2000 model.." she muttered.

"How do you know that?" Jarred asked, peering clueless back at her.

She smiled and brought the camera down from her face.

"I just do."

Jarred smiled back at her, his face beaming with happiness. He had never felt anything like this before, in his entire life, but he knew he liked it.

"Let's go see what John is doing." Vanessa suddenly announced, heading over to the entrance of the storage room.

"Hey Johnnie boy, you in her?" echoed her voice in the small room. "Oi? You in here? Hello?"

"RAHHHHHHH!"

"Ahhhhhhh! Shit!"

Vanessa's face grew pale, as she vastly staggered back in fright, John ruthlessly laughing as he emerged from the dark corner.

"Fuck you scared the living shit out of me!" she cried, giving him a playful punch.

"But you still look good when you're scared." Jarred laughed, watching Vanessa blush from his compliment.

"Ok turtle doves let's get moving shall we? There's nothing in here that we need anyway." John suggested, walking towards the room's exit.

"I found a camera though," Vanessa said, holding the camera out to John. "Here, take it."

John thankfully took the camera, and began to head back down the hallway to find Ryan.

"You think we should follow him?" Vanessa asked, peering down the long hallway.

"Nah, let's just stay here for a while." Jarred replied with a smile.

-Not Far Away...-

There was a silent rattle of moans echoing off in the distance. Several zombies, stumbling lifelessly in a mangled line, emerged from around the turning road, pleading hungrily for warm fresh through their low-toned moans. They were vastly approaching the News Station, and it wasn't going to be easy for the others to escape this time...

Claire Redfield

The basement was dark, lit only by a few emergency lights on the side of the walls. Nathan was taking the lead, leaving Winsor to take up the rear and to think over Nathan's proposition.

__

To be together? How can I? I can't....I shouldn't even be in love or whatever that feeling is.

She was afraid. She had never felt so close to someone before; a new feeling for her cruel nature. She felt that being attached to someone would make her vulnerable to attack if that someone was taken away. Killed in most terms. She had to isolate herself from everyone, to be close to them would make her one of them. Someone who cares about each other. She cared about the others and about Nathan, but she didn't want them to leave her...like Paul did. She wasn't his friend, but he died and the others had cared about him.

__

So, the question is if I died would anyone become vulnerable to attack just because of my death?

It didn't seem right to have others die because of her. If she died, she deserved it. Isolation was the best way of life that she lived, but Nathan changed that.

Nathan stopped at a door. "Door number one. Let's see what's behind it."

Winsor shook her head mentally and slowly nodded. He opened the door and they slowly entered the chamber. It was huge; a building filled with pipes and wires running along the walls and ceiling. Pieces of machinery was all around them, at least from what they could see in the dim red light. They walked toward the machinery, their boots clicking the metal flooring.

Nathan slung his rifle down. "There's a computer. Me thinketh it might worketh," he said in a corny Shakespearean tone.

Winsor shook her head. "You killed Shakespeare, again."

Nathan shrugged and started the computer. A menu appeared and he started to type.

"System control...Main power," he whispered. He smiled and clicked the mouse. "Dammit. Access denied. Password only. I'll try to access another way."

Winsor sighed and leaned against the wall, rubbing her eyes. She was still tired. They only had maybe three, three and a half hours of sleep tops, but she was still amazed how the others were determined to survive.

She didn't notice Nathan staring at her. "Are you ok? You look tired," he asked sweetly. It made her stomach churn from the thought that he cared about her.

"And you're not," she returned.

Nathan laughed. "Yeah, well the excitement of this place is killing me."

"Not funny," she said and took a step towards him-

-when a hook-like claw swiped sideways in front of her, causing her to stumble back and arming herself with her gun.

"What the fuck!" she screamed and heard a shot go off and something hit the floor. It was human size, black, with four limbs. It would have been human, except its head was oddly shaped and one hand was replaced with a wicked curved claw. Blood oozed from its head.

She looked back at Nathan. He had his rifle already lowered and walked toward her. "Did it hurt you," he asked, his green eyes piercing her brown ones.

Winsor shook her head and pushed him away and made her way to the computer when there was a skittering noise, followed by another in the dark room.

__

Shit! It's dark and they're black! My aim sucks, but maybe...

She looked at Nathan who seemed to have read her mind. "Sam, see if you can get the power back on. I'll cover you." He crouched on the floor and slowly walked away from her, but stayed in site.

Winsor started to type madly on the computer. Watching as screens changed in seconds after arriving on them only to be stopped on the screen that Nathan was on earlier.

A sudden burst of gunshots were heard, making her nervous, relieved, and confused. Nervous that Nathan would get hurt. Relieved that he found the creatures. Confused that she didn't know if she would isolate herself from him and the others again just so she wouldn't have guilt if they died.

City of the Dead

Winsor hammered away at the keys on the computer while trying to maintain concentration. She was searching for the building's main power grid, but all she could find were data and status reports. Every few seconds, Nathan fired the automatic, the high pitched squeals of the insect monsters following the loud bursts of fire. Finally, she located the grid.

"Yes, I've found the unit system," she said excitedly.

"Good job," Nathan yelled over the constant gunfire. The glow of the computer system was the only light that aided him in the battle.

Winsor clicked on the power grid and quickly restored power to all areas of the building.

In an instant, the lights flickered on inside the control room. Lying all around them were the corpses of huge insect looking creatures, each of them lying in a puddle of greenish colored blood.

"Yes, you did it," Nathan said hugging Winsor. "Now, let's go get everyone else," he added.

Jarred and Vanessa were enjoying a moment alone together when the lights came back on without warning.

"Looks like Nathan got the power back on," Jarred said to Vanessa.

"Yeah, too bad," she said kissing him once more.

"Alright, let's head to the news cast room and see what we can do," Jarred said leading the way out of the basement.

Vanessa followed behind him. She watched him walk from behind and couldn't believe it. What seemed like almost life-threatening injuries a few hours ago, was reduced to nothing more but a mere limp. It looked like Keel was right about him, he did revitalize overnight. The thought made her flash back to history class. She remembered him coming in one day with a cast on his arm, she asked someone in the class what happened, and they said the bone in his arm was nearly shattered after an accident. But a week later, the cast was off and he was fine.

__

Odd, I wonder why he of all people has this ability, doesn't seem right, oh well, I guess it doesn't really matter, at least he's going to be okay.

She followed him up the stairs, and out of the basement.

"Sir, I think you should come take a look at this," the soldier's voice snapped Keel out of his stupor.

"What is it?" he asked as he followed the guard.

The guard led him to the left side of the church, where a bunch of men had circled around something on the ground. Keel lit up a cigarette as he made his way through the circle of men. Keel didn't even take one puff on it before he dropped it into the grass. Lying at his feet was the corpse of a large creature.

"That's the Nemesis," Keel said jumping back. "Careful, its not dead," Keel yelled out towards the guards who confusingly started at him.

"I don't know it looks dead to me," a soldier turned to say.

Without warning, a tentacle raised up and snapped the soldier's neck. The rest of the soldiers jumped back as Keel watched the Nemesis rise to its feet once again.

"God, why won't this piece of shit just die?" Keel whispered to himself. He fumbled around with his rifle and took aim towards the creature. He watched it knock three men over like bowling pins before turning towards some others. Keel opened fire on the beast, being careful as not to hit the fleeing soldiers. The Nemesis appeared badly injured, but it still had the same unrelenting fury.

Keel held his ground, trying to keep calm as he pumped bullet after bullet into it. Most of the guards had been tossed aside and now the creature had set its sights for him. Keel backed up, his back hitting the tree behind him. The Nemesis lunged forward and wrapped its tentacles around Keel's left leg. Before he knew it, Keel felt the ground leave him as he was knocked onto his back and dragged forward. He was on his back, staring up at the creature. Keel quickly reloaded while the monster screamed triumphantly, and began firing again, hitting it in the upper body. The Nemesis quickly stumbled backwards, and Keel got back up.

A smile spread across his face as he watched the creature limp away from him. Keel reached down and pulled out a grenade from his belt.

"Not this time," he said as he pulled the pin.

He waited two seconds and then hurled the grenade towards the retreating monstrosity.

BANNGGGG!!!

A deafening explosion rung out as the creature fell, face first, hitting the grass hard. When the smoke had cleared and the fire danced wildly on the tree branches, the Nemesis was laying on its stomach, the left side of it's body charred, it's olive yellow skin had turned into a crisp grayish-black. Keel looked at the fallen monster to see it's left arm missing, torn apart from the explosion.

"Probably didn't finish you off, but it sure will slow your ass down," Keel panted, staring at the smoking monster.

"Sir we have another problem," a soldier's voice called him from behind.

Keel sighed and turned towards the soldier, who still had a look of panic on his face.

"What is it now?" he asked in an aggravated tone.

"Well, I think you should come take a look at this, come to the top of the church," the soldier said.

After a few flights of stairs, Keel stepped out onto one of the balconies with the soldier.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Look," the guard handed Keel a pair of binoculars and pointed towards the city, Keel held the binoculars up to his face and looked down towards the streets.

"What the hell is that thing?" Keel said in shock. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was a huge monster, rampaging through the streets. He tried to grasp a concept of what it was, but the only thing he could think of to compare it to was a dinosaur. It was stomping through wreckage, and knocking over street lights. Its pattern of movement obviously hinted that it was heading somewhere.

Keel looked to his left and saw the News station. It was a three-story building that sat on a cliff just over the river. The huge satellite a beacon of the Gaines News and Weather center. He saw lights turn off and on, and he instantly knew who was there and where the monster was heading.

"I think our survivors are in the news station building, get our guys down there now," Keel said to the troop.

"Yes sir," He responded.

Keel walked back down the stairs of the church. He wondered where Piers and Markenson were hiding, and if they were behind that Lizard that was now stomping towards the 15GNW building. Whatever it was, they needed to get down to the news station and fast. Blair could not have those kids, dead or alive. He knew that if Blair got away with this, the country, possibly even the world would be in serious danger...

Carlos Oliveira

As Nathan and Sam came out of the basement Nathan stopped suddenly.

"What?" she asked.

"Shit I just remembered something! I'll be right there. Go tell the others I'll be right down!" He replied as he started towards the stairs to the top floor.

"What?! Why? Where are you going?" Sam asked following him.

"Just something I need to get from a computer. If you see Ryan down there tell him we need to talk to everyone after I get back ok? Trust me sweety I'll be right back ok?" he said as he turned and continued up the stairs.

"Alright." Sam answered as she started towards the others.

Nathan took the stairs two at a time reaching the top floor in moments. Looking at the doors he found the one he wanted and walked in. With a quick search he found a computer and sat down powering it up. Finding the site he wanted he started his search.

Enter name or ID............"David Law".............Access Denied........Enter name or ID..........."Nathan Law".........Access Denied.........Enter name or ID.................

"Shit! What the hell is your password Dad?" Nathan said in frustration.

"What would it be?" he whispered to himself.

"Isis"......Access Denied............Enter name or ID..........."Blair".........Access Denied..............

"Fuck! Goddammit! What the hell is that fucking Password!?!"

Nath leaned back in thought. The chair creaking slightly. In the distant he heard what sounded like a dull thump. Something in his mind awoke, but being distracted from his task was not an option. He put the strange sound from his mind and back to the task at hand. Thinking again his eyes suddenly snapped open wide.

"No. It couldn't be. He never talked about her after the accident why would he use her name."

.........."Jessica Law".............Access Denied.........Enter name or ID...........

"Shit! Wait! Her nickname that dad always called her!"

..........Jessabella.............Access Granted.............

"Yes!"

Reading the screen he searched for the information he wanted. Stopping the screen he saw it, the title was simple but the information would help him to understand...._"To My Son"._

Nathan Law,.....my son.......if you are reading this then Piers has won and I am dead. I want you to know that I love you Nath,....Your the best thing to ever happen to your mother and me.......If only she was around the see your achievements. You always were a smart kid Nathan. And I know that you still are. Piers was working on more then just a virus son. He was working on Bio Weapons......

Again in the back of his mind something was trying to warn him but the words of his father were too strong for him to ignore so he read on.

__

Some are small and minor but others are nearly unstoppable. Nathan, go to my office downtown. In the basement you'll find my locker,.......the combination is your basketball and wrestling numbers son.....told you I was proud of ya. Their is some money their as well as some fire arms to help you get out of Gaines. Leave and go back to Canada son. Find my old CIA buddy Jason Wells....he'll help you get started on your new life.........I love you.....my son.

Nathan drew a breath and wiped the tears from his eyes.

__

"Are you OK?"

The sound of her voice startled him. He turned around and saw who was whispering behind him. Sam placed a hand on his shoulder as he turned not wanting her to see him crying.

"Sam I.....it's just....I can't...."

"Shhhhh. It's ok Nath. You don't have to talk about it," she said interrupting him.

He was relieved but at the same time he wished she would press so he could tell some one how alone and isolated he felt. How he wished he could have a normal life like everyone else. He looked up at her to speak but was distracted by that thump again. His mind raced to make sense of it when suddenly the windows crashed inward. Ravens had smashed through and were looking for their next meal. Nathan grabbed Sam's hand and pulled her out the door shutting it behind himself. Sliding down to the floor they leaned against each other for a moment before Sam turned to him. Looking him dead in the eyes as if appraising what kind of man he really was. By the smile she gave him he figured that it was either good or bad. He hoped it was good.......


	40. Cornered By The Beast

Dr.William Birkin

David stopped at the elevator, pounding the keys, Alexandra looking at him with confusion in her eyes. "Why cant you just tell me what's going on? Everything for the past few hours is all..blurry...and..", David stopped her with a tired and impatient look. "Just stop it..trust me..it'll ALL come flooding back sooner or later..." he said, angrily pressing the button now. The doors began to open, but the sound was overshadowed by the large metallic crash behind him.

A large door was torn from its tracks and thrown into the opposite wall, the omega-456 as it was designated walked from the dark containment lab. Its large head turned, piercing white eyes falling onto David and Alexandra, raising its clawed fists it roared and wasted no time in its attack, ignoring Alex, it headed for the one target programmed specifically into its memory. The burst of gunfire from the Ingram did nothing, as the oversized entity caught David in a corner and began to slice away, darkness filled his vision as the cutting and hacking continued. The air was pierced again. But not by screams this time, but by the burst of two m16a2 rifles. Two soldiers jumped from the elevator car, blazing away at the tyrant, as it was sometimes known. "Shit! This was NOT in the briefing!!!!!" yelled one of them, reaching for a grenade as the bullets tore into the creatures flesh. 2 clips later, the monster roared and retreated, bleeding profusely, into the tunnels of the shelter.

"HQ..this is epsillon patrol...target #3 identified..he's in critical condition..requesting immediate evac..Also we seem to have found one of the other survivors" said the first soldier into his radio, looking down at David, who lay unconscious in a pool of his own blood. "Roger that epsillon, medivac reroute to city hall, eta is 3 to 7 minutes. Now get back here, the operation is starting to go to hell.." came the field commands reply, the line dying out to static, and the world going blacker than ever before for David...

Jill Valentine

The sun began to peek over the horizon; the gentle beams of sunlight spreading beautiful arrays of violet and pink through the early morning sky. A gentle rustle of the autumn leaves stilled the cold air, followed by the cheerful chirps of several birds. It seemed like a typical start of the day for the City of Gaines, but unfortunately, behind the town's peaceful beauty, stood an endless nightmare of zombies, tyrants, and other strange mutations...

__

If I hadn't of moved here in the first place, then maybe I wouldn't be stuck in the middle of all this....but wait...I'm being selfish...what about the others? I wouldn't want them to be like this while I am having fun in some other place....

A sigh heaved from Vanessa's exhausted frail body, as she stood by the window peering out in awe at the early morning hills that surrounded Gaines; thinking to herself why something like this was happening.

"Are you alright there?" Ryan asked, waving his hand over her undisturbed look out the window. "You look a bit dazed..."

Vanessa shook the thoughts from her head, turning to face Ryan to acknowledge his concern.

"Yeah I'm alright..just a bit tired, you know?"

Ryan smiled as he turned and headed back to John and Jarred, who sat on the floor trying to figure out how to work the digital camera.

"It goes like this man..."

"No man it's like this!"

Staring out at the town from the window, Vanessa recognized the emaciated figures staggering towards the building in a distance.

__

Oh shit just what we need...Why won't they just die already? Haha...stupid thought...

"Guys," Vanessa's shaken tone began. "We've got company...Bad company..."

Jarred's fearful expression bared the same look as Ryan and John, as he closely clutched his weapon by his thigh.

"You can't forget this, remember?"

Vanessa upholstered the backpack from her shoulders, emptying it on the floor to reveal a pile of weapons, ammunition, food, and first aid kits. "I got these from the police station....and almost got turned into a meat pop stickle for it. So take whatever you need, 'cause I didn't get it for nothing!"

A wide grin appeared on John's face as he stumbled down next to her, grabbing the ammunition and weapons he needed for his protection.

"Well, I'll go outside and keep these assholes out of here, and you guys try to figure out how to get this thing working, okay?" Jarred announced, as he grabbed a large pack of ammunition rounds for his riffle, and heavily slung it over his shoulder.

"Wait, I'll go with you..."Vanessa suddenly broke out, beginning to follow on after him.

"No, you can't you have to stay here, Ryan will go." John pleaded, pulling her back.

Vanessa raised an eyebrow, placing her hand to her hip, staring directly at both Ryan and John.

"Just 'cause I am a female? Com' on guys don't be sexist, I'm not as weak as you think. Don't worry we'll be back, not like I'm going to return with an arm missing, okay?"

"No, I don't like it..Jarred's still a bit weak you know."

"Hey look buddy, I can look after myself."

John hesitated for a moment, but Ryan looked as though he couldn't be bothered arguing with her suggestion.

"We'll be back later."

-----------------------------

10 minutes later

The sun was bright and shining now. The hungry eager moans from the lifeless cannibals grew closer and closer towards them. Jarred and Vanessa were prepared to take any chances they could to protect the others from harm's way, even if it mean them loosing their own lives for it...

"Are you scared?" Vanessa asked, a calm, easy look set upon her petite face.

"Not really, you?"

"Not at all."

Jarred smiled at her, as he reached over and grabbed her hand, clenching it tight as he drew further and further away from the door.

The heavy click of the riffle sounded the first shots that fired into the bloody corpses as they slowly approached them, followed by simultaneously sickening thuds and groans as the zombies went down; one by one.

Soon enough, the rounds of ammunitions had been emptied into the mutations, Jarred hesitating on whether or not to go back inside to the others. Noticing more of the corpses emerge from around the corner of the bitumen road, Jarred slammed open the door throwing himself and Vanessa inside, tightly barricading the door with a thick plank of wood.

"Shit, let's go, we have to warn the others, we have to get out of here!"

Vanessa nodded as she followed after Jarred.

He was scared. She was scared. They didn't know what they would do, and if they didn't think of something fast, then they were going to be meat pop stickles... 

Claire Redfield

Winsor smiled. It was the only thing she could do. He was upset after reading the computer, but Winsor didn't dare read it. She didn't want to invade his privacy after all.

They slowly got up from the floor and walked toward the stairs. The lights flickered suddenly and dull thump came from the ceiling. As if something large was walking on the floor above them.

__

Like what though? An elephant? Jesus...

"Come on, the faster we get up the stairs, the faster we find the others," Nathan said, still smiling.

Winsor stopped smiling and shrugged. As much as she wanted to find the others, she also seemed not wanting to find them. She kept telling herself to become isolated again and cruel. Maybe if she was that again, they would leave her alone. She could leave the group and venture out of the city on her own. She could climb over the barricades and leave the city behind her.

__

Like my past? She already felt like her past was behind her since Nathan saved her life at the park. Nathan. She was going to hurt him emotionally by doing it.

They were almost by the stairs when they heard the moans echoing-

-and a body falling down the stairs. Its body laid twisted and some of the limbs seemed broken, but it somehow rose to its feet, staggering towards them. Another zombie, one that was fresh and hungry-

-and there were more moans and two more bodies fell down the stairs. Winsor seen four more at a landing slowly walking forward, except for one that dragged itself on the ground.

"Shit! They broke in," Nathan muttered and stepped back, his eyes glanced behind them. He grabbed Winsor by the arm. "Elevator. Now."

Winsor could only nod. Their only stairway was crawling with zombies. If they shot at the zombies and if one was "faking its death" just as they would climb the stairs...

__

Don't think about becoming one of them! Go!

They jogged down the hall, both turning their head back at the slowly growing group. Five zombies were now on the floor slowly advancing. Nathan slammed his hand on the call button for the elevator.

"Will it work?" Winsor asked. She continued to watch the zombies advance at the other and of the hall.

"I-Maybe, it should still work. We restored some power to the building," he said nervously. It was obvious that he didn't want to stutter, not that it would make her feel scared or anything.

The doors opened and both of them went inside. The moans sounding closer than before. Nathan pressed the first floor button and the doors closed. Both sighed as the elevator rose to its floor.

__

I'll have to hurt him when I leave, but he's stronger than he knows he is. He shouldn't even be hanging around me...

The doors opened after ringing a familiar chime and they stepped out of the elevator.

"Whoa," the said at the same time. The first floor that they had ran through just a few minutes earlier laid in ruin. The receptionist desk destroyed, the walls and floor cracked, but most of all a large ass hole that was once the front doorway of the building was there. Parts of broken glass, wood, and stone of some kind was on the floor in chunks.

__

Christ, what happened? The Nemesis couldn't have done this, could it?

Nathan was staring at something on the wall. It appeared to be claw marks. Really large and long claw marks.

"Sam, stay inside the elevator," Nathan said. "If you hear anything, go up to a higher floor."

"What are you going to do?" she asked. She already knew the answer though.

"I'm just going to check it out. Don't worry, I'll be back."

"I'll wait for you."

Nathan smiled and slowly walked away, raising his rifle. He rounded the corner of the room and disappeared out of site.

Winsor bit her lip. Something was wrong. Nemesis didn't have claws so what is the new creature? The ravens and those creature in the power room were new. The black creatures with the hook-shaped claw...It needed a name.

Chimera....It looked like a cross between a human, an insect, and metal parts. Like the Greek monster that was part goat, lion, and snake. Things that shouldn't be put together-

A burst of gunshots interrupted her thoughts and running footsteps. Nathan rounded the corner, running at her with a pale face.

"GO!" he shouted the second he ran into the elevator and started to press one of the buttons rapidly.

"What? What is it?" she asked in alarm. She moved her head to see what it was as the doors started to close-

-and seen it. It was huge. Standing on two hind legs, at first she thought it was a dinosaur. It looked reptilian. It was running at them, its legs pumping, giving it amazing speed.

The door closed and started to rise-

-and there was shaking. The elevator being shook by the creature and almost being brought back down. A roar echoed throughout the tunnel making Winsor cover her ears.

Nathan touched her shoulder and pointed up. There was an open shaft above the elevator that he had opened or that opened up while the elevator was being shook. Winsor quickly climbed up and within second both found themselves on top of the elevator. The black shaft echoed as metal and the cable were being stretched.

A ladder. There was an emergency ladder on one wall. Nathan ran toward it and started to climb with Winsor following. Their hearts were raising as they started to climb higher.

__

Jesus fucking Christ! A dinosaur? A lizard? What the hell created that?! Blaire?!

There came a sudden snap sound coming from above them. Nathan shouted something, but Winsor couldn't hear it, too busy watching the elevator already falling to the basement floor. The lizard thing had brought it down, leaving a gaping hole in the wall that the elevator was once stopped at. She couldn't see the creature-

-and searing pain whipped at her left shoulder making her cry out in pain and drop her gun. Blood gushed from the opened wound as a metal rope slid by, falling down the shaft.

__

...hit...by cable...blood. Nath...an....

She felt dizzy and seen dark spots appear in her vision. Everything started to blur. There was pain all around her. Her shoulder throbbed as warm, blood gushed down her back-

-and she let go of the ladder, slowly falling back when something grabbed her. Nathan's worried face staring down at her, his mouth moving but she couldn't hear anything.

She closed her eyes and went unconscious. Unconscious on a ladder, being held by Nathan in an elevator shaft.


	41. Revenge For The Victim

Dr.William Birkin

The morning wasn't very pleasant for David Sunderland, just as the light of the sun broke through the shroud of darkness, consciousness began to return to David. The bitter taste of receding adrenaline and bile filling his mouth like rusty water, his eyes blinking open and growing accustomed to the darkness of the cold room he was in. Instinctively he tried to move, but realized his arms had been tightly secured, racing back in his mind he tried to remember what had happened. He saw blurred bits, a creature with claws, red, darkness, two personnel in gas masks, darkness, then a blinding light reminiscent of an operating room, then the most prolonged darkness he could imagine, cold and unforgiving as death itself. "Ah....so..you're awake..." hissed a very, very calm voice, almost snakelike in its foreboding. "Don't worry, I'm not with Blair..." light flooded the room, David immediately recognized his situation, an interrogation room. "Nice way to wake a guy up.." muttered David, shaking his head in the vain hope of throwing the paralyzed feeling off, but only worsening it. "You'll be a bit disoriented, that's the massive dose of painkillers wearing out, we needed to dope you up with at least 3 syringes of them when we found you...quite a nasty job that beast did on you." The lone interrogator stepped into the hazy field of vision, he was somewhat short, and wearing a dark suit, his face was obscured but a sinister smirk was barely concealed. "Mister Sunderland.." the snakelike voice again, rolling every s in a comical fashion, except this was no joke. "My name is Samuel Becker...I work for Isis..I'm what you could call a...well..a problem solver of sorts...and this city is a very big problem." hissed the voice of the man. David was tired of the games, and wanted to end this, wanted nothing more than to get out and get some payback on Piers..Markenson...and now Becker was quickly making his shitlist. "And you want WHAT with me? Hm? Did your superiors lead you to believe I knew something of value?" said David, the anger building in his voice. "Now, now David..there's no need for anger...I'm a friend...were here to help yo-" "SHUT UP, YOU LYING BASTARD, DON'T EVEN TRY THAT 'WERE HERE TO HELP' B.S. ON ME, I KNOW WHAT YOU PEOPLE ARE ABOUT, YOU AND BLAIR ARE THE SAME THING, PURE EVIL, NOW CUT THE CRAP AND ASK ME WHAT YOU WANTED TO ASK ME...BUT DON'T EXPECT ANY HELPFUL ANSWERS...you people must have forgotten the fact I was just a low level little information seeker...", David cut him off, his voice echoing off the walls. "Very well...what exactly do you know about the so called 'nemesis' ". "Well..it's big...armed with an anti vehicular missile launcher, and could very easily tear you limb from worthless, slimy limb..." David spat, defiantly glaring at the figure, his vision still retaining a blurry, dreamlike quality. "Wrong answer Mr. Sunderland..." replied the voice, mocking tone overriding it again. Becker then produced a wooden truncheon, such as would be used in riot control. David felt a sharp pain as Becker smashed the club against his head, probably knocking a tooth or two loose. "NEXT QUESTION...what is the current location of the cleaner troops Markenson sent out...we saw you're friends battling them, and we know they've vacated the city park area...choose your answer wisely David, I'm running very low on patience..". David glared at his interrogator "Go to hell...I'm starting to wonder who's more of a nutcase..you..or that Piers freak back at the lab..". The truncheon again raked across David's chin, the warm taste of blood in his mouth knocking his level of consciousness up slightly. A radio in Becker's pocket began beeping, and was promptly answered. "Yes...what is it...". "Sir, this is surveillance team 3...there's something you might want to see up here...we found the other survivors...I think.." came a voice. "Fine..I'm on my way.." the static shut off. "Well...I have other business I must attend to..but don't worry..I'm not close to finished with you yet...". He walked out laughing, dropping the club on the cold floor. "Round 1 is over you bastard...but this is far from the end.." David growled under his breath. The makeshift interrogation cell seemed to be in the basement of a building, the chair David was secured to was fairly old, the rot making itself known in every squeak of the old wood. David spat out the blood, cursing the new enemy he had just made, and struggled with the chair come on....._please let them have been stupid enough to.....HELL YES... _David smiled somewhat, optimism slowly returning to his mind as the chair snapped, standing up, he shook his head and picked up the riot baton. "And so it begins again..." said David grimly, walking towards the door...

In another underground chamber, a very different event was happening, the beginning of the end.. Piers walked into the antiseptic smelling room, his eyes filled with psychotic anger, his creation had failed, the Isis troops had breached the inner sanctum of his work, but he had one final ace up his sleeve. Shooting out the security camera, he walked over to an archaic looking machine. "The augmentation project...once it was meant for the military...but they abandoned it..now they'll see...now they'll ALL see...". Piers laughed slightly, sitting down in the chair at the center of the device, thinking back on all the work his colleague had done on the Lazarus project as it had been called, a covert research program, funded in part by the u.s. military to develop physical augmentations for use in combat, and to a much reduced degree, in medicine. The project had run out of interest and funding, and had been abandoned, its head researcher flying into a psychotic rampage, ending in the murder of his family, and eventually his own suicide, in a fit of anger and despair. But it wont go to waste... Piers thought, beginning the surgical procedures, the machine taking over with a press of a button. _Markenson...Law.....Sunderland....the other survivors...they will soon see what I am...the WORLD will soon see...I am the beginning of the next step...I have created masterpieces..but this is truly my finest work....._ A smile of contentment beamed across his face as the sedatives kicked in...within an hour...he would become the foremost result of Blair's finest minds...living, and dead...

City of the Dead

The building shook wildly as Jarred and Vanessa stumbled around in the news station lobby. It seemed as if someone was violently shaking the building with incredible force. The zombies outside and the ones that made it inside had fallen over from the vibrations. During the tremors, Jarred put down about five of the ones that posed the biggest threat. Suddenly John and Ryan came running out of the hall with confused looks on their faces.

"What the hell is going on?" John yelled over the noise.

"I don't know, let's get out of here before this place collapses" Jarred yelled running back out into the streets.

The four gunned down several zombies along the way, as they ran out into the middle of spring street and gazed at the news building.

"Oh my god, what the hell is that?" John asked.

The four stood in the middle of the road, the news station rumbling to their left. A gigantic monster was stomping around inside the building, its head, a battering ram, tossing chunks of concrete and crumbling entire floors. It let out a high pitched roar that nearly shattered their eardrums.

"Dear Jesus, Nathan and Winsor are in there" Vanessa yelled.

"What do we do?" John hysterically asked.

"Get it away from the building before they are killed!!!" Ryan yelled running back towards the building. The beast had smashed through a wall and was now on the outside, its size rivaled the very building itself.

"HEY YOU, OVER HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ryan screamed at the top of his lungs, trying to distract the monster.

The creature curiously snapped one of the trees that stood by the news building, gripping it in his jaw before tossing it to the ground. Ryan pulled out his pistol and began firing at its head. The monster flinched and focused its attention towards the shooter. Ryan lowered his weapon and was paralyzed with fear as he laid eyes on the creature's huge blood stained teeth.

"RUNNN!!!" Ryan yelled as he turned and sped off towards the others.

Jarred, Vanessa, Ryan, and John ran as fast as their legs could carry them, the road shuddered as the thunderous footsteps of the creature came closer and closer behind them. They all turned hard on Riverside Drive, the road that intersected with Spring Street. Jarred quickly looked back as he ran only to see how close the monster was too them. They had to do something fast or it would be on them in seconds. Then straight-ahead on Riverside, there was an alley that the creature surely couldn't fit through.

"Into the alley" Jarred yelled as he sped towards it.

John, Jarred, and Ryan made a desperate leap into the alley, but Jarred quickly noticed that Vanessa was not with them. He looked to the street to see her standing in the road, obviously too afraid to move. The monster swooped down its mighty head and slammed its jaws together, nearly catching Vanessa between its large teeth. She stumbled backwards and jumped into a parked car. Vanessa crawled into the floorboard getting as low as she could, hoping that it would just turn away.

"VANESSA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Jarred yelled.

Before he knew it, Jarred had snatched Ryan's assault rifle off his back and bravely ran into the street, releasing a blitz of gunfire upon the dinosaur monster. Vanessa cried in the floorboard of the car, feeling the snap of the car's steel frame as the creature bit down hard on the roof. Jarred kept firing as it ripped off the top of the car, dropping it to the ground. The creature was in a frenzy, it couldn't be stopped with normal firepower. Jarred desperately looked around, there had to be some way to stop it. Suddenly the body of a soldier caught his eye, and he instantly knew what he saw strapped to his belt. It was a grenade, just one. He ran over to the corpse and picked up the explosive.

"Make this one count Jarred" He told himself as he pulled the pin.

He waited a second and then hurled the grenade towards the monster. As the grenade flew towards the upper body of the reptilian monster, it had lowered it's head once again, sweeping down for the kill.

BANNNGGG!!!!!!!!!

The explosion was synonymous with the painful scream the monster belted out afterwards. Its head ablaze as it crashed against several brick buildings, trying to extinguish the flame. The creature turned and ran down Walnut Street, and the rumbling footsteps eased into silence.

"Vanessa!!!" Jarred yelled running over to the destroyed jeep that was now nothing more than a wreck.

He quickly picked her up from the floorboard and squeezed her tightly. She latched onto him and wouldn't let go, she was hysterical and in tears. He hugged her back, almost in tears himself. Fire danced all around them, the grenade had worked, the monster was gone...for now.

"Your okay now, it ran off" Jarred tried to soothe her.

Apparently it worked, her cries became less frequent and she calmed down a bit. He still gripped her tightly.

"Damn, look at them, no doubt about it, they really love each other" Ryan said still watching from the alley.

"Yeah, makes you think you know?" John said.

"Think about what?" Ryan curiously asked.

"Everyone is getting together, maybe me and you should...give things a try" John jokingly placed his hand on Ryan's shoulder.

"Shut the hell up and lets get going" Ryan punched John in the shoulder.

"They say you hurt the ones you love Ryan" John said with a sincere tone to his voice, but still obviously joking.

"Shut the fuck up, we're going" Ryan walked out into the street to meet up with Jarred and Vanessa.

"Hey guys, I don't mean to interrupt but we need to head back to the news station and find Winsor and Nathan" Ryan said, being sensitive to the situation. "Are you okay?" He asked Vanessa.

Vanessa nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes, still in Jarred's arms. John and Ryan started heading back towards the building. Vanessa and Jarred still standing out in the street together.

"I made a promise to you Vanessa. I said you would make it out of this nightmare alive, and I will die, trying to keep that promise" Jarred said to the distraught girl.

"You...Saved my life...I love you Jarred" She said hugging him one more time.

"I love you" Jarred whispered to her.

"But for now, lets get back to the building and find the other two star-struck lovers" She sarcastically quipped back at him, a smile coming across her face.

"You are so beautiful" Jarred smiled wiping away dirt from her face. "Okay, just thought I would say that, but we should head back now, come on"

The two ran back to the news station building to look for Winsor and Nathan, they knew that with damage like that, the building wouldn't hold out much longer...

Jill Valentine

__

There will never come a day,

Where you'll never here me say, that I want, or need to be without you....

I want to give my own....Just hold me, simply control me, because your arms, they keep away the lonely...

When I look into your eyes, then I realize, all I need is you in my life, all I need is you in my life...

Because I never felt this way about love, and...I've never felt so good... Never felt this way about love, and it feels so good....

Nathan sat helplessly in the empty hallway, weeping at the sight of Winsor's body. She was still breathing, but appeared to be unconscious. The rugged wounds that were deeply engraved into her back were seeped of blood and stranded pieces of wire from the cable, her eyelids flickering constantly as though she still felt the pain throbbing throughout her entire body.

He gently ran his fingers through her hair, his arm clutched underneath her head, so delicately, so fragile, so sincerely...

__

Winsor, please don't die on me, I need you. You need me. We need each other.

More sorrow erupted from his exhausted, muscularly frame, as he held her body close to his, gripping her tighter and tighter as the weeps grew louder.

"Fuck you Piers! Fuck you Blair! Fuck you Isis! Fuck everyone in this fucking god damn shit hole!!!"

---------------------------------------

The harsh reverberations from the heavy vibrations of the explosion rang throughout her ears. Vanessa; exhausted, scared, and distraught; gripped tightly onto Jarred as her own sense of security in this horrible nightmare. The crumbled bitumen that had once formed part of Riverside Drive had been completely decimated, as the distinct scent of burnt metal wavered through the air as they stared on at the burnt car wreckage.

__

What the hell was that thing?

Vanessa blankly gazed on at the glowing flames that surrounded the wreckage, the intense heat warming her skin.

"Let's go," Jarred began, gently pulling Vanessa away from the fire. "We have to find Winsor and Nathan."

Ryan and John had been startled by the muffled screaming coming from upstairs on the next floor. The voice was distinctly that of Nathan; and they hesitated to enter the second floor, fearing that the worst thing that could ever happen, had finally taken it's place.

"It's Nathan, we have to go help him!" John announced, a pleading, fearful gaze overtaking his broad calm expression.

Ryan nodded as he quickly followed John to the lift, Jarred and Vanessa narrowly staggering behind them.

Ryan impatiently slammed his fist down on the rugged plastic button, the faded number "two" lightening up followed by a high pitched shriek of the elevator.

They waited a little longer, but the thick metal doors refused to open.

"God damn this thing! Let's take the stairs then!"

Heading towards the thin passage that held a line of stairs ascending up to the second floor, the light clank of several footsteps was heard beating against the hard planks of wood that formed the narrow staircase.

"Nathan? Winsor? You up here?!" Ryan yelled, hearing his own voice echo in the distance."Guys? You up here? Hello?!"

"Over here..." came a muffled response, followed by heavy sighs and weeps. "Winsor's hurt, I don't know what to do...Help me!"

Vanessa looked down at the wounded girl; Winsor's pale faced drained of all it's angry emotions and troubles. She looked like she was in no pain, she looked so peaceful.

__

Poor Winsor...

Sitting down next to her, Vanessa drew a small first aid-kit from her back pack, setting it down on the floor and opening it up to reveal a set of small tools, anti-septic, and bandages.

"What happened? Where is she wounded?"Vanessa asked, sincerity distinct in her soft tone.

Nathan looked at Vanessa, fear filling his gaze as he gently turned her over, revealing several heavy wounds scarred across her back.

"We were in the Elevator, then this thing came after us and then...and then.."

"Shit, this looks bad." John blurted, not thinking of the words that erupted from his thoughts. Ryan quietly hushed him, noticing the disturbed look set upon Vanessa's face as she removed the pieces of metal from the broken wounds. Gently applying the anti-septic, she bandaged the wounds, as Nathan removed his "Class of 2001" Jacket and placed it snuggly around Winsor's half-naked body.

"Half her clothing has been decapitated!" John remarked, Jarred and Ryan shooting him a 'shut the fuck up' look.

"We know," Vanessa smiled, watching Nathan pick her up in his arms. "She should be okay. She needs a lot of rest, and I suggest that two of you stay with her for the time being. She is in a very delicate situation, you are lucky she is still alive."

Nathan's facial expression strengthened as he turned and headed down the hallway, John slowly pacing on after him.

"We'll all go to with you Nathan. We are all going to stick together this time." Ryan called on after them, peering at Vanessa and Jarred who stood quietly behind him.

"Let's go guys. We're still a long way away from the ending to this nightmare..."

Joker

The group made their way down to an exit to try and escape the nightmare here. "The whole idea of coming here had been an absolute fucking disaster", Ryan thought. All he had succeeded in doing was getting Winsor hurt. That was the last time he'd share an idea like that.

Ryan suddenly snapped. He wasn't going to let this venture or anyone's injury go in vain. He suddenly split away from the group.

"And where are you going, Ryan? Are you nuts?!?", Jarred exclaimed.

"Maybe, but I suggested we come here to do something and I intend to do it!", Ryan said, exasperated.

"I'll go with you!", John suggested.

"No, you'll need everyone you can get!", Ryan replied.

"At least take your rifle, then!", Jarred called after him, knowing he was too stubborn to be talked out of his action.

"No, you'll need it more than me!"

"But..."

"No more questions! You have Winsor to attend to! You do your job, I'll do mine!"

"What happened to sticking together?", John called but Ryan had already disappeared from view.

Nathan sighed. "What job? ", he pondered. Ryan could be a real stubborn bastard. Still, he couldn't help but wish him well. His heart was in the right place, even if his mind was not at times.

--------------------------------------

Ryan slowed to a walk and raised his Beretta in the two-handed Weaver stance as he'd seen his father and his workmates do so many times before in the Gaines PD. He carefully checked around every corner, weapon high at every shadow, every movement, everything that might move...

After some tense minutes, Ryan finally made his way to where they had tried to get the camera working. He didn't know how to connect it, but he could think it through logically.

Looking around at what he had at his disposal, Ryan thought to himself, "How hard could it be?"

--------------------------------------

Lieutenant Keel had met up with Sierra Team at the church and was now heading for the news station. As they made their way there, they were confronted with a veritable wall of zombies.

"Jesus Christ!", Keel blasphemed. "Suppressive fire! Watch those flanks!"

The cacophony of small arms operating at full-automatic would have been deafening in a more enclosed space. As it was, the sound was just enough to be heard a few blocks away, inviting more undead denizens to join the fray.

Keel watched from the confines of his rifle sights as their weapons cut a bloody swathe through the zombies. However, they were still advancing. During the firefight, Keel couldn't help but think, "Do we have more bullets than they have zombies?"

--------------------------------------

Ryan fiddled about with the numerous co-axial cables around the news studio, trying desperately to find one to put the digital camera on a live feed.

There was the sound of shuffling feet and a moaning emanating faintly from the direction Ryan had come.

"Damn it... come on...", Ryan said quietly, trying to keep himself quiet to conceal his location.

As he tried more and more cables and riggings, the sounds of moaning and shuffling became more pronounced. More of the undead were congregating together and now, more of them had discovered Ryan's scent.

The sounds came closer. Ryan quickly bolted toward the door, threw it shut and locked it. The flimsy lock on the door wouldn't hold against the zombies Ryan estimated to be out there, of that he was sure, but it might buy him a little more time.

Frantically trying to connect the camera, the pounding on the door had started. They had found him. He needed to find the cable... fast...

One cable, then another, then another, none worked. Ryan had only got through about seven more cables before the weight of several bodies on one door proved greater than the lock could bear, the door bursting open and spilling the undead forth.

"Just one more...", Ryan said to himself. He didn't even have time to see whether it had worked. He had to go.

As Ryan set the camera down, he fired at a few zombies to keep the horde occupied. By a stroke of luck, the fallen zombies had tripped the others, making a rather large pile-up. Ryan burst out the opposite exit and set about finding a way out.

--------------------------------------

Piers was watching the surveillance monitors intently, changing between this frequency and that with an evil grin forming on his face. Those kids would soon be dead and his problems would be over.

As he flipped through the frequencies, one got his attention. The moans of the infected were clearly audible. It appeared the camera had been abandoned as it lay on its side. However, it was clearly the news studio of the Gaines News Station.

"What the... this can't be...", Piers said breathlessly. "Surely they couldn't have patched a camera into a live feed!"

He watched, horrified, as his private little incident had now become a public spectacle. He hoped that it would be dismissed as a B-grade horror flick, but that was too much to hope for. Eventually, after some time of seeing the footage of undead walking around, moaning, it would only be a matter of time even Joe Average would know what was going on...

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan turned to John and lifted Winsor towards him.

"Please take her." he said in a whisper.

John spread his arms and took up the weight as Nathan lowered her to his arms. As soon as John had her Nathan reloaded his rifle and 9mm. Looking at everyone his gaze settled on Winsor and without looking up he spoke.

"John. Take care of her. Tell her I loved her. That I,....trusted her. I'll never forget any of you." Nathan turned and started out the doorway.

"Hey! Where the hell are ya going?" Yelled Jarred as he grabbed Nathan's arm to stop him. Nathan turned with one fluid motion and had Jarred's arm pinned behind his back. He pushed hard and tossed him to Vanessa who managed to catch him.....barely.

"Don't even think about stopping or following me! I Have things to do and they don't concern you guys. Everyone near me gets hurt! Can't you people see that?!? I wasn't meant to be happy! Now just leave me alone please!!" he yelled at them as he sprinted away. John noticing the syringe falling from his pocket. The one with the last of the anti-viral serum.

Nathan ran to the nearest car. A Chevy S-10 pickup truck and busted the window with his rifle stock. Unlocking the door he opened it and hotwired the truck. Stepping on the gas hard it spun for a moment before catching solid at propelling the truck forward. Turning the wheel hard he disappeared around the corner on to Riverside Dr. and then turning again onto Second St. Stopping in front of the Court house his truck was only 2 blocks away from Riverside. He parked it with a screech of tires and stepped out. Walking to the courthouse he wandered inside and began his search.

(_If there was anything here about Isis or Blair I'm gonna find it._) he thought to himself. He had another reason for coming here. His fathers office. It was time for some payback and his dad was about to send some help from the after-life. Heading to the lower floors he rounded a corner and saw the office. Slowly he opened the door and walked inside. It took everything he had not to lose it. This was his father's office where he would no longer sit, or drink coffee, or work,...nothing. He stepped to the locker and punched in the code,.......~20-25~.....and with a soft click it opened. Nathan immediately saw the custom made twin D.E.'s that his father owned. He checked to see that they were loaded and then strapped them on and grabbed a few extra clips. He grabbed the small steel box and lifted it out setting it on the desk. Going back to the locker he found an Assault Rifle with a heat vision equipped scope as well as a grenade launcher attached to the bottom. He loaded a few in and slapped in a fresh mag as he pocketed a few more. He turned to the box and flicked the catch causing it to spring open. Inside was an insanely large wad of 100 bills. He pocketed it as well as the bank card and slip of paper with the pin number. after memorizing it he set it aflame with his lighter and tossed it to the floor. Looking in again he saw a fresh pack of smokes.

"Always could get on you to get me smokes dad." he said to himself.

Taking it, he opened them up and lit one. Tucking them back into his vest he realized the syringe was missing.

"Shit!? How did I lose it?"

The final thing in the box was a letter. He opened it carefully and started to read.

__

My Son, By now you should be well equipped to leave this town and start over. I've told you everything I could. Have a good life son. I love you.

Dad.

P.S. Stay away from the town hall! Piers is there as well as more creations of his. Again I'm sorry.

"Thanks dad. You've given me more then you could imagine." Nathan said with a wicked grin on his face.

"Now your ass is mine Piers!!!" he said

Rushing out the door he ran back upstairs and out the front. Jumping into the truck he started it up and headed for the Hall. His mind set firmly on one thing that he was willing to die for. After all he had nothing to lose. He wasn't 100% sure on Sam's feelings for him but he didn't think they were that strong. Tossing the crumpled letter out the window he sped away. It was time for,.....Revenge!


	42. Deserving Pain And Dreams

Dr.William Birkin

The rotted door of the basement room opened easily, the hinges almost falling off as David pushed on it. The truncheon gripped tightly in his hand, he glanced around the dark, dank hallway. The lights were industrial style, and judging from the look of the walls, he assumed he was in some type of warehouse. _"Well..that would be as good a place as any for a command post.... " _he thought, walking forward. Footsteps echoed through the hallway. Edging towards the corner, David tried to overhear the conversation. "Sir..there's no need for this..I...I won't let you do this sir...", said a shaky and frightened voice. "You take orders from ME! Not the other way around!! Fine..the hell with you! Your compassion just cost you your life...", hissed the all too familiar voice of Becker. The sounds of a struggle were heard, followed by a gunshot from a makarov pistol. A door swung open, and then closed. David crept forward, noticing the blood splatter on the wall, a guard in the same fatigues as the Isis cleaner troops lay dead, an hk usp handgun clutched tightly, his head covered in blood from a well placed gunshot wound. "Well..looks like I get to face another psycho today...yay..." said David, his voice echoing through the dim hallway as he picked the handgun up and moved through the door...

Samuel Becker turned, staring across the dark ventilation control room towards the opposite door, raising his makarov. The shadows of the warehouses basement obscured the figure who walked forward, but he had an idea of who it was. "SO...David...you managed to escape..good, I expected as much.." hissed Becker as David walked into the lit area the single bulb created. "Yeah...now...as I was going to ask before you cracked me across the head with a club...what kind of second rate flunky ARE you...did Isis send their dumbest people out here or something?" laughed David, the gun aimed directly at his adversaries head. Becker fired his pistol into the air, a look of indignation spilling over his face, like a child who had just been deprived of a toy. "YOU SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME....if you must know..I was sent to oversee this operation because I am a VERY efficient man..in fact..I was just on the way to eliminate the other survivor we picked up..she was not much fun in the interrogation..to tell the truth..I was growing quite tired of the both of you..you just weren't of any real interest..I hate it when people spoil my fun..it makes me....angry.." he hissed in an utterly insane voice. Bringing his gun to eye level, he began giggling a sick, childish laugh. "But maybe you'll be more fun when you're armed Sunderland..now..I've done all there is to do...IT'S YOUR TURN!!!!!!!!!" he began laughing again, firing twice as David backed off. "OOOOH! RUNNING SO FAST!! SPOILSPORT..." Becker hissed, running to the side, into the shadows and firing two more times at David, who was hidden behind a broken down furnace in the corner.

__

Just wait..he has to run out of ammunition soon... , David's train of thought was disrupted by 4 more rounds deflecting off of the floor and wall nearby, the childish laughter of the madman echoing throughout the room. "COME OUT COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARRREEEEEE! Now, now David..PLAY FAIR FOR ONCE.." the gun clicked empty, David stood up, the gun rising and aiming, David pulled the trigger twice, both rounds finding their mark in the madman's chest. Becker cried out in pain and fell to the ground, staring up as David edged over and pressed his gun against his face. "Now...where is she...." growled David, his patience now gone. "The other survivor....she's in the opposite corridor..go to her if you'd like...she might remember you..she might not..in any case..you'll get what you deserve soon...some of your little comrades must know about what you really are..how you were...or maybe ARE..a flunky intelligence operative for Markenson...you'll pay in hell Sunderland...YOU DESERVE TO DIE TOO DAVID!" screamed Becker, laughing hysterically as he bled to death. "Maybe I will die...maybe I wont....GAME OVER YOU SICK SHIT..." David screamed, pulling the trigger.

The shot echoed throughout the hallway and the room..blood splattered onto David's arm, he stared at the blown out face of his enemy. A wave of sickness and fear came over him, sickness at what he had become...a murdering traitor..a lying scumbag..no better than the people he said he opposed..and fear..fear of death..but more so of life..of Alexandra not remembering him..or, if she did..knowing what he was..and hating him for it. David shook his head sadly and walked off to find Alex, the dying words of the madman echoing in his brain...

__

You'll pay in hell Sunderland.... And he knew he probably would....

Infinity-X

Alexandra stood in a dark room. There was some boxes over in the corner. I need a kick-ass weapon or something she though. She searched through them but found nothing.

"Just a bunch of junk"

she said quietly. There was some kind of guard in the hall across from the room. She didn't want him to hear her, but she would have to get out. Alex sat down on one of the boxes.

"Maybe what's his face will come again....David,"

Alex said. She looked around the small room. On the floor she spotted a metal bar. Alex walked over and picked it up, _I wonder what this is for? _she thought. She got a plan. She hoped her idea would work. The door in the room had a glass window on it.

"1....2.....3!"

she closed her eyes, and smashed the glass with the bar. Then she looked out into the hall, the guard didn't hear her luckily.

"Oh my god, these locks are too easy,"

she said. All she had to do was turn the door knob from the outside and it opened. She gripped the bar and headed down the hall. She quietly walked up behind the guard.

"Hey"

said Alex. The guard turned around fairly confused. Alex took the bar and hit the guard about 5 times in the head when he was finally knocked out. She took the assault rifle he had in his hand. She kicked the guard and walked back towards the room. She wanted to wait for awhile and see what would happen. So Alex sat down by the door and hoped that David would come by. Seeing she had no clue what was going on or where she was.

David continued walking down many halls in this huge warehouse like place. He remembered the words Becker again. He tried to get that out of his mind. Then he just thought about Alex, and how she didn't remember him. He wanted to find her. And with that he heard someone walking towards him.

"I thought you would be around,"

said the person. He looked up, it was Alexandra. David walked closer to her.

"Alexandra..you're alive, thank god, I just got through with a madman and didn't need to see you dead,"

he said. Alex looked up at him.

"Ummm, ok...."

She turned around. David looked at her and he thought..

__

Why cant she just remember me..... then he thought of what Becker said again. Maybe he didn't deserve to be living. But, he was going to make sure Markenson got what he deserves.

Claire Redfield

Winsor knew she was alive, but she couldn't wake up. Confusing dreams kept her from accomplishing it...

__

She was in the high school with living students and teachers, but something was terribly wrong. Zombies staggered toward students, killing a few. With the somewhat chaos in the halls, no one was stopping it. They continued to walk down the hall ignoring corpses and cries from the dead.

Winsor slowly walked by, wide-eyed at the sight and walked toward the cafeteria. It was filled with corpses. Winsor turned her head away in disgust when she saw a purple Hunter leap by. Its long claws decapitated a zombie that Winsor didn't see was behind her. She gasped and ran out the cafeteria door to go back into the hall-

-only to find herself back in the tunnels again. Water was rushing around her knees as she walked down the tunnel, confused. She turned the corner and seen the largest spider that she had ever seen...again. Right on her left side on the wall, it ran to the ceiling just as she was sprinting down the tunnel faster than ever. She didn't have a weapon on her and she rounded another corner only to run into a dead end. When she turned around, the spider was already there. Slowly skittering towards her-

-and the ground underneath her opened up. She fell down a few feet and landed in a kneeling position on the ground. Her knees took most of the pain from the fall and she started to get up. She looked up at the darkness that was once the opening of the hole when the ground started to shake. The wall started to crack and Winsor found herself running again. She heard the shrieking roar and the wall collapsing. She could feel the gravedigger after her. She didn't dare look back and seen a ladder in front of her. She ran at it and immediately started to climb upward. There was an opening above her, light falling through-

-and she was in the hospital. People were working there and everything seemed normal. Doctors, patients, and people walking by her as she glanced around and seen men in uniform with guns looking around as well. Piers henchmen apparently, looking for someone or something. She walked slowly away, not making eye contact with any of them and walked through the nearest door-

-and heard the screams of people echoing the hall. She shot a look into one of the patient's rooms and seen an elderly man struggling against a brainsucker. The man went limp suddenly and the monster went behind him, stabbing a spike into the man's neck. Winsor shook her head and continued down the hallway and walked through twin doors-

-She was outside now, in the park. She looked behind her to see the hospital building only to see more trees. The hospital vanished. She walked on the trail leading her to the exit of the park. Leaves fell off trees signaling fall's arrival. She had just gotten to the gate when she saw the kid and a dog playing with a stick. The boy threw the stick and the dog ran off after it. Just as the dog jumped into the air, a Hunter grabbed it, one of the blue ones with the large mouths and swallowed the dog whole. The kid screamed, but Winsor pushed herself to open the gate-

-and seen the news station. She knew nothing made sense since she was in the high school. A group of black birds whether they be crows or ravens(she couldn't tell) cawed at her. A corpse of a woman was underneath the tree that they were perched on and her death was obviously caused by the birds. Winsor walked into a hole that was once the entrance of the building. She seen a hall to her right and walked towards it-

-when she seen the familiar black creature on the ceiling. Its long curved hook-like claw made her remember how to run as she ran under it. She heard the Chimera skitter on the ceiling as she ran forward, her adrenaline making her want to run faster and out of the nightmares-

-There was a door, but right next to it with its back turned at her was the lizard monster. It was sniffing at something, not paying any attention to her. Without thinking, she ran past it toward the door-

-and felt something strike her back. A thousand coiled whips struck her at once causing her to lose balance and fall through the doors. Blood oozed as skin and muscle was ripped-

-as she fell to the floor of the church. The familiar lighting, pews, and stained glass windows seemed to welcome her. She slowly rose to her feet, her back aching in pain as she staggered to the nearest pew. She gripped at it and placed her head down. She didn't know how tired and weak she now was. She looked at one of the windows. There was a picture of two hearts, one colored red with the words love and life surrounded by a crown. The other was black with the words hate and death surrounded by thorns. She knew it meant her. It was one of those damned signs telling her of what she was. She cared, yet she didn't give a damn-

-The door behind her slammed. She looked behind her and seen Nathan standing there along with Ryan, John, Vanessa, Jarred, David, and Alex they were walking toward her. She found herself smiling and stood straight up, ignoring the pain in her back. It was like everything was going fine now-

-then she seen Paul in the back of the group and knew something was wrong. He was dead. There was no way he was alive since the green Hunter attacked him in the tunnels-

-and a roar came above them. The glass dome shattered as a giant black mass fell through it. When she went to look at her friends they were gone, the Nemesis was in their place.

Winsor fell to the floor, kicking herself back as the Nemesis took steps toward her. Purple tentacles whipped around its body and it grabbed her, putting its large hand around her small throat. She tried to scream, but nothing came out-

-and her eyes opened. She was awake now, but her vision was a little blurry. She still felt pain throughout her back and she thought she was being carried by someone. There were three human-sized blurs, one which was carrying her and the other two were running in front. Their footsteps sounded like a large echo in her mind.

"Let's get out of here," said a familiar voice. It almost sounded like Jarred.

__

Maybe because it is Jarred...

"What about Ryan," asked a female voice, "and Nathan?"

__

Vanessa...

"Nathan chose to leave us and who knows where Ryan went," said another voice closer to her. It was a voice that she hated and knew instantly.

__

John...

They're all here...No wait, did they say Ryan left? And Nathan? Why?-

Suddenly one of the blurs moved at her. Winsor slowly blinked, still weak and a little confused of what was happening at the moment. Her eyes started to focus on the person.

"She's awake," Vanessa whispered.


	43. Fight Against The Odds

Dr.William Birkin

The sunlight spilled in through the dusty windows of the main entrance. "Well..looks like we made it..um...David?" said Alexandra, her mind still hazy and very confused as to the identity and intentions of David, even though somehow he seemed strangely familiar to her. "Yeah..well..at least you remember my name..that's a start.." he said coldly, opening the door for her. "YOU! HANDS UP!", David turned, dropping to one knee and raising his pistol almost as a reflex as he heard the harsh cry. His sights found themselves trained directly onto the head of a cleaner troop armed with a m4 carbine, 2 bullets and it was over, the shots tearing through the gas mask and balaclava and caving the soldiers face in slightly. The body hit the floor, David was already out of the door by the time his death call stopped echoing off of the cold, gray walls...

The sunlight presented an almost obscene contrast to their surroundings, a bright, sunny day, illuminating a street that could very well have been ripped out of the siege of Stalingrad. Fires smoldered, cars were plowed into storefronts, bodies, their faces frozen into expressions of pain and fear lay strewn across the cityscape. David walked down the sidewalk, stepping over the corpses, ignoring the carnage, his mind too busy dwelling on his own suffering to care much about the pain of the deceased around him. Then a familiar voice stopped him, Alexandra tapped him on the shoulder. "David...can you explain to me what happened last night? I can't remember very much..just...some kind of monsters and...you..and..a few others.." she said, sadness building in her voice. The hatred and anger David had been building in him ever since the interrogation session began to fade as he looked at her.._god..she really is beautiful.. _he thought, now deciding if he found Piers he would make his death even more painful. "To make a long story short..this is all a big nightmare...the others are your friends...and as for me....I'm just a failure who should have died a while ago..." he replied, turning and walking off again. "David? Why? Why should you die..." she yelled after him, spurring him to turn. Gesturing back towards the warehouse with his pistol, he yelled his response, the anger flooding back, the pain taking over. "BECAUSE I'M A MURDERER...DID YOU SEE WHAT I DID BACK THERE? I KILLED..HELL..2 PEOPLE...AND THAT'S JUST THE BEGINNING...you don't know the shit I've gotten myself involved in in the past few months..murder is the least of my sins...the people that want us all dead now..well...I know them a lot better than any of you think...I deserve to die..yet somehow..god keeps taunting me with ongoing life...". Before Alexandra could protest, David was already walking. Back in the direction of the city, the large structure visible even from the warehouse district...Alexandra stood wondering whether to let him go or to try and get some answers, sighing to herself, she ran after him.

David's eyes were fixed on the city hall, an angry, enraged look in them. He had double crossed Markenson simply by not shooting the other survivors when he had met them. _Maybe I should have wasted them all when I could have...they probably want me dead just as much as Markenson.. . _Markenson probably knew he was coming, and that gave him an edge, putting him in the defensive position. But David had one advantage..Markenson had a reason to live, David had nothing to lose, the odds were even, but the winner would be whoever was more hell-bent on revenge, and David was willing to be it was him...

Jill Valentine

The soft image sways of the figures which formed John, Vanessa, and Jarred slowly arched into view. Winsor shook her head abruptly as she heard the distress in their voices; and their sincerity towards Nathan's dramatic exit.

__

I knew this was going to happen..I bet Nathan's expecting me to feel sorry for him....leaving us like that...

Winsor tried to move her arms and legs, but the nerves that ran throughout her entire body were stiffened by the throbbing pain across her spinal cord. A chilly breeze from the window lifted the soft silky curtains gently through the air as it strengthened to a harsh wind. Winsor held back the emotions that ran through her mind, as she didn't want to feel as though she actually cared about anything that was going on.

__

Why does Nathan always have to be so god damn ridiculous and leave us? Fine, he can be that way...and Die for all I care...

Although her mind was fighting it, deep down in her heart, Winsor deeply cared about Nathan, and her hopes for his survival strengthened at the thought of his glowing smile.

__

Damn him...

"Winsor? You alright?" Vanessa asked, gently nudging her shoulder to revive her.

"Well, what does it look like to you?" she snapped back at her, painfully leaning up into a sitting position. "I'm just fine and dandy. Never felt better."

She sarcastically rolled her eyes, and the others had realized that Nathan hadn't changed her bad attitude one bit.

"Well, if you cared to notice Winsor, Nathan went off on a little crusade, and so did Ryan." John began, stroking his hair nervously. "and they could die. So it's either, stay here and look after you who doesn't give a damn anyway, OR go after them."

Winsor sighed heavily, narrowly glaring at John through a dark, unpleasant look.

"Well, do you think I can walk by myself? Well unless your god, nothing can help me now."she replied, physically dragging her legs towards her. Struggling to stand on her two legs, Winsor staggered back, the others reaching out to catch her before she fell to the ground. Attempting several more times, Winsor grew more frustrated; never feeling so exhausted in her life.

"We'll have to carry you. Permission to touch your leg?" Jarred joked, leaning over to scoop up her left leg. Winsor flinched back in defense, as John warned her with a dark look, as he too reached for her right leg. Finally, John and Jarred had comfortably set Winsor up in their arms, Vanessa grabbing the remains of the ammo, weapons, and first aid kit which were scattered across the floor.

"Don't even think about moving your hand up any further John!" Winsor remarked, crossing her arms.

"I wouldn't dare think of it...."he muttered, as he watched Vanessa open the door.

Without realizing, a large horde of zombies flooded into the narrow entrance of the room, the decaying tissue of their cannibalized bodies creating a sickening odor.

"Get out of my fucking way!" Vanessa screamed, as a heavy thud from her foot sounded a kick towards the line of zombies.

Like the game of dominos, the zombies fell back over each other, Vanessa gesturing for the others to quickly follow her out while they had the chance.

"Through here!" she called, leading them down the hallway towards the staircase that lead up to the third floor. "Hopefully there's some sort communication system up here, it shouldn't be too far!"

"Good, it's about time you use that brain of yours.." Winsor muttered.

"Hey, shut up okay, you may be wounded, but that doesn't stop me from hurting you." Vanessa snapped back.

The deafening shots from the riffle clanked at the steel lock that barricaded the door on the third floor, Vanessa thrusting it open, flicking on the light switch as she entered the room. The light revealed a small room, with a heavy slab of glass dividing the room into two separate sections. On either side, there stood mechanical panels full of numerous buttons, switches, wires and gadgets, with two sets of large headsets hanging off each of the metal edges.

"Here. Sit her down here, and help me get this thing working okay?"Vanessa demanded, not hesitating to lock the door behind her.

"Okay...how do we work this thing...."

Positioning the headset comfortably around her cranium, Vanessa sat patiently as she fidgeted with the switches, and connected the wires, hearing a loud static through the ear piece, indicating it was operating.

"Hello is anyone out there? Can anyone here me? Hello?" she repeated several times, her voice becoming louder and more frustrated at every second. "Hello? This is Vanessa Williams from the town of Gaines, requesting immediate government assistance. Something has taken over our town, leaving half the Gaines population dead. I repeat..."

"I hear you! I hear you!" came a static voice from the other end. "I have received your calls, and they have been broadcasted live to CNN..."

"Thank you!" She cried, seeing the joy lighten up in Jarred and John's eyes. "Who are you? What is your name?"

An evil muffle of laughter was then heard over the static of the receiving end of the headset, followed by a loud gun shot shattering the window that centered the room.

"Get down! Get down! It's an ambush!" Jarred cried as he pulled Vanessa down on the floor. The shots continued to fire for a few more minutes, then stopped.

"What the fuck was that?" Winsor cried, wearily looking up at John and Jarred.

"I don't know! We were tricked!"

Vanessa could feel her heart racing, and her mind deafened by the gun shots. Suddenly, a gasp heaved from John's wide-mouthed gaze.

"Vanessa? Are you okay?" he asked, pointing to her shirt.

"What is it? I can't feel anything?"

Vanessa gave him a confused look, as she looked down, feeling the warm blood drain through her dirty white school shirt. It appeared to of stained the layer of her shirt that had sat right over her heart. She had been shot.

Joker

Ryan was slumped against the wall, trying to get his breath back after sprinting to lose the zombie horde which had entered the news station looking for him. To make matters worse, they had been here a few hours, meaning that the mutilated staff might be reanimating at some point. Ryan looked down at his Beretta, a symbol of how stubborn and foolish he could be. He could have taken someone with him. Surely it would have made sense to have someone to watch his back? But Ryan had point-blank refused, knowing that, if they died, he would lose it completely. His conscience needed no more tainting for now.

But he should have taken the assault rifle.

Yanking the Beretta's slide back to chamber the first round of the new magazine, Ryan sighed heavily and wondered what to do. He couldn't try to escape out the front door. It was the nexus of which the zombies were entering from. The fire escapes and side exits were all barricaded. He was trapped, trapped like a rat. A soon to be devoured rat. "Just as well I went alone", Ryan thought inwardly. " If anyone's going to die next, it'll be me. I've got nothing much to live for anymore, not now that Joanna's gone, and now, I'm just throwing myself into desperate suicide tasks..."

Ryan nearly contemplated ending it there when it became clear he wasn't getting out of this place, at least not alive. Then, suddenly, he remembered something.

__

The rooftop.

"There might be a fire escape up there!", Ryan suddenly shouted at himself in his own mind. "Or, at least, a way to hail a helicopter down!"

Ryan ran for the stairs and made his way up. On the way, he ran into a few zombies, easily dispatched with 9mm hollow-point to the skull. 9mm's may not have made a great impact on objects, but, if put in the right place, can do as much damage as anything else.

As Ryan got to the roof, he looked around for signs of a fire escape. There were none.

"Fuck!", Ryan yelled, frustrated. Every time he thought of a way out, another obstacle presented itself. The whole thing was futile. He also cursed himself for thinking that a helicopter would be around. That was wishful thinking. Anyone who had a chopper would have evacuated long ago.

Ryan sat down, back against the guard-wall, feeling disappointed, broken and defeated. His effort, for all he knew, was for nothing. He was going to die a needless death and there was nothing he could do about it.

Just then, Ryan heard an odd "thwup-thwup-thwup" sound. It almost sounded like...

Looking around, Ryan finally saw it. A helicopter was here! If he could just convince the pilot to wait long enough for the others, they'd all be able to get out of here.

As the helicopter closed the distance between it and the news station, Ryan heard something else which made him shudder.

The undead were making their way to the rooftop.

As the helicopter came closer, Ryan waved frantically to get its attention. There was still time to get the others, just perhaps not here...

The helicopter hovered over Ryan, dropping a rope ladder. Before the zombies could get to him, Ryan quickly climbed the rope ladder as if his life depended on it. After all, it did.

Ryan had nearly reached the helicopter when he noticed something odd...

The chopper had Blair's corporate logo emblazoned across its steel frame.

As he noticed that, a man wielding a pistol leaned out the cargo bay door pointing a handgun at Ryan's head.

"Ah, Mr. Bartlett, I presume?", the man said tauntingly. "Care to join us?"

As Ryan looked at the man in shock, that same disappointed, broken and defeated feeling came over him. But he exhibited only one emotion.

Hatred.

Carlos Oliveira

When Nathan reached the town hall he didn't stop. He kept driving straight up the stairs. Into the front doors and through the hall. The few guards that he did see he didn't stop for but instead just kept on driving. Taking them down like bowling pins. The small Chevy slammed into the wall as he turned a corner. He stepped on the gas and kept going. Rounding yet another corner he saw the elevators. Stopping the truck he stepped out and picked up the rifle. Pushing the button he waited for the pinging sound of it to sound it's arrival. Instead he heard the screech of a hunter behind him. Nathan turned and fired a burst tearing it to shreds. The elevator opened and there standing like a horrible vision of hell was,........NEMESIS!

---------------------------------------------

Ryan continued to scale the ladder as a soldier grabbed him and lifted him inside. Quickly disarming him the cuffed him to an overhead bar and started towards the outskirts of town. Towards the Industrial section of Gaines.

---------------------------------------------

As David and Alex stepped around a corner in front of the City Hall they heard the sound of a car or truck peeling around a corner. David saw it first. A small Chevy pickup was tearing straight for the building. Obviously not stopping it tore into the buildings front doors and inside. David wondering just who the hell would be that crazy to charge right in when he heard Alex speak up from behind him.

"I know that guy......it's......dammit why can't I remember?!? Neil?,....Nick,...."

"Nathan!!" yelled David realizing who it was.

"Shit he's got to be pissed! Com' on he may need some help!" said David as he took off after the Chevy.

---------------------------------------------

Nathan took a step back and smiled.

"So....we meet again." he said woodenly.

The Nemesis replying with a growl.

"Are you ready to dance?" Nathan asked it as he squeezed the trigger letting loose a hail of bullets.

The Nemesis pitched backwards into the elevator. Nathan watched as it stood again.

"Come on you fucker!! Lets tango!!" Nathan yelled as he leapt away from a tentacle.

Turning he scrambled into the truck luring the Nemesis after him. It slammed it's mightily clawed fist into the hood smashing the engine clean into the ground. Nathan flipped it the bird and smiled.

"Well? That all you got? Come on bitch!! Lets get it on!" Nathan taunted.

The Nemesis roared again as it smashed it's way into the cab. Nathan slipped out the other door and leaped into the elevator hitting the down button, and just before the doors closed he lifted his rifle again.

"This is for Paul!" he said firing a grenade round under the truck. The doors closed and there was a huge explosion shaking the elevator. Amazingly enough it held and continued down.

---------------------------------------------

David and Alex were about to round the corner when a large explosion tossed them off balance knocking them backward. Metal shards flew by the corner as David shielded Alex from them. Standing he asked he if she was ok. After a nod from her he took a look around the corner only to see a destroyed pickup and pieces of Nemesis all over the place.

"Alex I think we need to leave here. This doesn't look like Nathan planned on leaving alive and if we follow I think we may just get killed too. Whatever he's planned, it seems like he's snapped."

Alex just nodded as they started back towards the front.

---------------------------------------------

Ryan heard the large explosion as the chopper was trying to land on the City Hall. From what he had heard he knew that they were picking up someone important here. Probably Piers he thought. The chopper landed and two soldiers took up position outside it while the other radioed for the pick up. Ryan leaned forward to hear what they were saying. It was hard to hear but he managed to make out some of it.

"...........Yes copy.........plosion....Nemesis.....nnialated.......Law. Prepare to....at.....once..............Can't stop him. Eta.....be rea...Leave. We'll be head......old Oswald F...tory...Law must be stopped......killing everything..no chance here....must leave....."

"Copy that. We ready to lift of when you arrive sir. Over." replied the pilot.

From what Ryan could gather Nathan seemed to be here somehow and was raising serious hell.

"Give' em hell Nath." whispered Ryan as he tried to think of a way to get free.

---------------------------------------------

Nathan stepped out into a long corridor and started on a straight path down it. A few hunters were in the halls, but nothing short of having a heart attack was going to stop him. He fired a burst here and delivered a few good whacks with the rifle stock when they got to close. Nathan hardly noticed as he stormed through them intent on killing Piers. Out of his side vision he saw blood cover the walls, like paint being thrown onto it, but he kept going. He turned the corner and saw Piers with a few guards.

"PIERS!!" Nathan screamed as the soldiers turned and started firing. Nathan didn't even try to avoid them as he stormed on, firing down the hall. Taking out three guards with a single burst he felt a bullet nick his shoulder and another pierce his jacket but barely missing him. The pain only made him angrier as he started running, firing another burst into the face of the last one. Turning he chased Piers to an elevator where Piers managed to close it and get away.

Nathan screamed again,...."PIERS!!!!! I'M COMING FOR YOU...PIERS!!!!"

Looking up he saw that the elevator number only said ~rooftop~. He turned and saw the emergency exit stairwell and slammed the door open as he took the stairs 2 at a time.

---------------------------------------------

Vanessa felt nothing. She was numb and didn't know what had happened. She knew she was shot but from who and how she couldn't remember. Jarred's voice was trying to get her attention but the other voices were drawing her back. Voices of her friends and family who had died. People she knew and cared about......people like Jarred. With that final thought she realized if she was ever going to live she had to follow Jarred's voice. Pushing the others away she followed it back.

__

.......Ness? It's me Jarred can you hear me? Nessa come back to me please!......

"Nessa? Please sweety open your eyes. Come back to me please." pleaded Jarred.

Suddenly her eyes twitched.

"Hey I think she's waking up man! Keep talking Jarr!" urged John.

"Vanessa wake up! Come on you can do it!" Jarred asked her again as her eyes fluttered open.

"Thank God! Vanessa? Can you feel anything? How are you? Are you ok? Talk to me? Please!" said Jarred.

"Well...if you'd....stop asking me...more then one...question at a time...maybe I can answer...you." She breathed obviously with great effort. Suddenly she arched her back as the pain set in. She moaned against Jarred's shoulder as it swept through her like a hot knife. Jarred tilted her slightly and saw that the bullet went clean through. She was lucky, damn lucky.

"Seems their gone man. Whoever was shooting at us high-tailed it outta here. I think they had a chopper,...I saw one flying away." said John.

"You'll be ok Nessa." John said as he gave a meaningful look to Jarred as he held out the syringe.

"Think it'll work on something like this?" Winsor asked indicating the bullet wound.

"I don't know." answered John.

---------------------------------------------

Ryan saw a man scramble out of a door and towards the chopper with a look of sheer terror on his sweaty paled face. From the descriptions of Nathan and Jarred it seemed like Piers. Or more like a terrified Piers.

Piers leaped into the chopper and the pilot started to lift away.

Suddenly Nathan was charging out the door and lifting his rifle. Ryan saw the grenade launcher on the bottom and thought he was done for. The look on Nathan's face spoke volumes,...he was seriously pissed!

---------------------------------------------

Nathan started to squeeze the trigger when he caught a glimpse of Ryan's face, and then he was diving away as bullets riddled the rooftop near his feet. He ducked behind a vent shaft and ducked low feeling the bullets whip by,...scant inches from his head. Then they stopped as the chopper flew away.

"Shit!" cursed Nathan as he started back down taking the steps 4 at a time. Literally leaping from one set to another. He slammed the ground floor door open and slammed into David knocking him sprawling. Nathan stood over him with his rifle aimed directly at his head.

"You! You dirty lying son of a bitch! I should blow your head away right now!!" yelled Nathan as he turned the rifle around using the stock to knock him out.

Turning he saw a terrified Alex standing there.

"He's with Piers and the others Alex! Don't trust him!" he said as he took off running. Getting outside the sun beamed from above as Nathan ran towards the first car he saw and smashed the window in. Unlocking it he opened the door and stepped inside and started splicing. A few short seconds later the mustang roared to life as did something else!........the dinosaur creature! It was a mere block away and looked hungry. Nathan slapped it into reverse and slammed on the gas. The car peeling away as the dino charged after him. Turning the wheel hard he spun around and slapped it into drive and took off. Silently he cursed Piers again as he prayed he could either outrun it of lose it. Either way, if he didn't,....Ryan was dead!


	44. Tempt My Sanity

Dr.William Birkin

David slumped against the wall, the pain of the concussion ringing in his mind. Alexandra stared down at him, fear and doubt in her brown eyes. "Don't even ask..I'll answer it for you...." David sighed, "Yes..he was correct..I am..or..should I say WAS..one of the pawns in the big chess game Isis and Blair were playing...I could try to explain why..but you probably wouldn't understand...I guess I'm just a horrible person..that..and you have no idea of the things they said they could do for me.." continued David, the depression now crushing him fully. "David..no...you...you cant be like them.." said Alex, turning her face away from him. "Yes..I suppose I am...a murderous traitor....but I wont trouble you or your friends with the execution.." he said quietly, pressing the berretta to his head and pulling the trigger.

The click of the empty magazine echoed off of the walls of the stairwell. "David..now now...suicide is NEVER the answer..." said a voice from somewhere off in the darkness. Right on time..just like a nightmare that comes back to haunt me... , David turned to face the speaker on the wall above him. "Now..you have two options...surrender now..lay down your weapons..and we can make a deal...you come work for us...we kill those whiny little pricks...and I make sure Alexandra ISN'T shot to death by the cleaner troops..come on..we've still got a chance..." laughed Markenson's voice. "THEY ACTUALLY TRUST THE ISIS TROOPS! They think they've come to...get this..SAVE THEM ALL...". Laughter echoed off of the walls. "You are a murderous scumbag..and now you've come to the end. I don't care if I die in the process..I'm going to kill you..DO YOU HEAR ME!" yelled David, his voice echoing off of the walls, tears of rage and hatred welling up in his eyes..hatred of Piers, hatred of Isis and Blair, hatred of Markenson, and hatred of himself. "Fine David, have a temperamental little fit..I really didn't want to have to kill you..no, I was growing to like you in fact..you showed so much potential...unfortunately..you had to let personal feelings get in the way of your destiny...I can only keep you from harm for so long...my superiors grow quite tired of this whole little drama that's unfolding...but, I will give you some friendly advice...right now..on the first floor....the REAL "cleaners" have arrived..the finest assassins Isis has to offer..and they have orders to kill whoever they deem a threat..since Ryan and the other one have vacated the premises...that means YOU..surrender David...surrender, or you WILL die...those are the only options....". the intercom switched off.

David slammed a clip into the Beretta, pulling the slide back and walking down the stairs. "DAVID...wait! Didn't you hear him?! You'll be killed if you go down there..." screamed Alexandra, a wave of unexpected concern coming over her. David turned, his eyes burning coldly with intense anger "That's what I'm hoping for...then again..maybe not..if I don't come back..well..I'm pretty sure its obvious how I feel about you...". David walked deeper into the shadowy depths of the stairwell..

4 heavily armed paramilitary personnel ran through the devastated city hall entrance, m4 carbines sweeping the hall. "Spread out...I will cover this hall.." said a dark suited figure, acting in the command role. "YES SIR, MOVE OUT, TARGET AND ELIMINATE!" the soldiers moved out quickly, boots clicking on the floor.

The ground floor door swung open. The Isis commando leader fell to one knee aiming his weapon, a desert eagle .44 "STOP RIGHT THERE.." said the figure in a cold, pitiless voice. "Or you'll do what..shoot me? Good..please...death would be an ideal release..." said the figure in the shadows. "STOP RIGHT THERE OR I WILL FIRE.." reiterated the assassin, anger showing itself. "Now, now..there's no need to yell..." David responded, firing 3 rounds from his Beretta, the flash illuminating the shadowy entrance. The man rolled out of the way, jumping for cover behind a desk as the bullets shattered tile under where he had been standing. "JESUS CHRIST..WHO THE HELL ARE YOU..DO YOU HAVE SOME KIND OF DEATH WISH?!" screamed the assassin, firing two unarmed rounds at the doorway, both missed.

"Think of me as a virus....a virus circulating in the corrupt veins of your sick little plans...and yeah..I guess I do have a death whish...". David sighed, refusing to show any fear..and walked out into the open, prepared to die as long as he got to take some of those bastards out with him....

Jill Valentine

__

How do I let go when I've loved him for so long and I've given him all I could?

Maybe love is a hopeless crime, giving up what seems a life time, what went wrong with something once so good?

How do you find the words to say,

Goodbye,

When your heart don't have the heart to say,

Goodbye....

----------------------------------------

The pain throbbed steadily in her chest.

The blood continued to swarm out of the open wound, and it didn't seem to want to stop. She felt the beats of her heart gradually slow down to a silent, yet rhythmic beat. Jarred held the syringe in his hand, getting ready to insert the blue liquid into her arm. Vanessa flinched her arm back, refusing to let him inject her with the serum.

"Please let me do it,"Jarred pleaded, trying to hold her arm steady.

"No...it, won't, work." she breathed weakly. "I, was, shot...not, bitten..."

Jarred knew she was right. He knew that she was in an extremely critical situation, the bullet had just inched her heart as is whipped through her chest. He just didn't want to believe the serum wouldn't cure her; because he didn't want her to die. John and Winsor stood back in awe, watching Vanessa struggle for her life, a sense of deep sympathy and sincerity relevant in their endless gaze.

"It's, my time to, go Jarred." she finally said, tears forming in her eyes. The green speckles flourished beautifully in her deep, ocean blue eyes, and Jarred caught his reflection in them as he watched salty tears stream down her flushed cheeks.

"No, I promised you'd make it out of here, and I keep my word!"he responded, his tone growing more furious at the sight of her wickedly painful eyes. "You'll be okay, just believe in yourself and me okay."

Vanessa managed a smile, as she ran her bloody fingers across his distressed, rugged face.

"When skies above you, start to pour, and all of your doubts, rain like a storm, and you can't fight the pain anymore, just let go..."

Her smile slowly weakened, and her hand dropped peacefully by her side, the gentle breeze whizzing through her silky auburn hair; the blood finally stopping. Everything froze. Time had already began to run out.

City of the Dead

CNN News building, Atlanta, Georgia

November 23, 2001

8:10 A.M.

Laura Andrews rushed around the offices, many secretaries answered phones that rung constantly, ever since the satellites were interrupted with that bizarre video clip, the place had been flooded with calls from confused civilians and businesses a like.

Not to mention several sponsors that weren't too thrilled about having their ad time interrupted by what seemed like some Night of the living dead flick.

She had no idea what was going on, she didn't know if some kind of signal was trapped in the system and it had filtered through the other ones, or if it was some kind of malfunction, all she knew was that she was stressed out and had a serious headache.

__

This is crazy, why can't everyone just forget about it, it was probably nothing more than an error in the program.

She went into her office and closed her door, where most of the noise couldn't filter through. She sat down at her desk, yanking open a bottle of aspirin and downing two pills, chasing it with a Dr. Pepper out of the coke machine in the lounge. All of a sudden, Greg opened up her door.

"We've got something else" Greg stuttered, his hair was a little frizzy and his suit was untidy.

Greg was a college graduate who was instantly promoted as lead journalist, apparently he was good. He was fairly younger than almost everyone there, so his work environment was often full of age-related tensions.

"What is it?" Laura mumbled.

"We got some new info, a broadcast was made about ten minutes ago by a Vanessa Williams from a city in Colorado, apparently something has happened there that no one seems to know about. We picked it up on our scanner, before we lost the signal, we heard laughter and gun shots, so something must be happening. I think it may have something to do with that satellite interruption earlier." He said excitedly.

"Any more details than that?" Laura asked.

"Yeah, the phone lines to the city are down; there's no way to make contact" Greg said.

"Should we send someone in to check it out?" Greg asked.

"For now Greg, stay on this okay?" Laura said shoeing him out of her office.

She laid her head down on her desk and thought.

What is going on? A whole city, no communications, and now some kind of burst transmission, things don't add up. Nothing we can do, except wait to see what happens...

Jarred stared in complete disbelief. The room was in complete silence, almost in a surreal, dream-like state, no one moved or said anything. Vanessa lay lifeless on the third floor of a practically destroyed news building. Even the vaccine Jarred injected before she lost consciousness was ineffective now.

Jarred kissed her on the forehead, and stood up.

"Jarred...I'm...Sorry man" John said, trying to console him.

"Yeah" Jarred said in a low, saddened tone. He walked past John and Winsor and headed out into the debris filled hallway.

"What are you doing?" John asked, following him out of the room.

"Take care of yourselves" Jarred said, keeping up his pace.

"What? Where are you going?" John yelled again.

"I hope you guys make it out of town...and start a new life" Jarred said.

"Your not leaving in a Nathan or Ryan blaze of revenge or courage are you?" John said.

"No...I'm after nothing, its over for me, just get out while you guys still can. There are a few unmapped, old mountain roads that lead into and out of the city. Several of them take you to other highways past the mountains, and some are just broken off somewhere, find those and follow them out of here. It's been a pleasure knowing you guys" Jarred said.

John ran down the hall, jumping past Jarred and standing in his way.

"Move John" Jarred said.

"No...Look, I'm sorry about Vanessa, I know how you felt about her, but we can all make it out of here, we have too, what happened to the determination I saw back at Warren High?" John asked.

"I no longer have a motive for survival, my only goal was to get her out alive and I've failed" Jarred quickly responded.

John couldn't think of anything to say he was really bad at these situations and rarely gave good advice, he didn't want Jarred to leave, but then again, he didn't know how to stop him.

"John, it's been a pleasure, get yourselves out of here" Jarred said.

John watched helplessly as He walked down the condemned stairs and out of sight. Now they were down to only two.

Only two, out of eight, Nathan and Ryan are gone, Alex and David went missing at the park, Vanessa just died, and now Jarred has wondered off as well, probably with a suicidal attitude.

At about that time, Winsor stepped out into the hallway and found a motionless John who was standing by the stairs.

"What do we do now?" She asked.

"I...I don't know, to tell you the truth, I don't know" John said, still shocked by the unfolding events. Everything was falling apart, things couldn't get any worse...

The helicopter hadn't been in the air for more than a minute. Ryan was surrounded by identically dressed guards and finally coming face to face with Piers.

"So you're the one who made the broadcast if I'm not mistaken" Piers growled.

He didn't answer; he acted like he wasn't even paying attention to the madman.

"Your friends will come, and they too, shall meet what I have in store for you" Piers chuckled lightly.

Ryan looked out over the soldier next to him, barely seeing out of the window, but he could tell that he was nearing the mountains, which housed much of the industrial district of town.

"Sergeant, please make Ryan a bit more comfortable" Piers said.

Ryan felt a sharp stinging pain in his neck, it was obvious, he was hit with some kind of tranquilizer. His thoughts quickly faded, and he fell unconscious.

Piers' plan was finally on the right track. Ever since Markenson had sort of disappeared. He was finally going to defeat those surviving kids, and to top it all off he had new strengths and powers thanks to the augmentation machine. It didn't give him the appearance or body altering changes he thought it would have, but he knew that it wouldn't really be necessary. His strength and Speed were radically increased, as well as his endurance. He chuckled lightly, he would bring Ryan and lure all the others to the mountains, and there, he would pit them against his most ultimate creation...

Joker

Ryan started to stir a couple of hours later with one of the worst headaches he had ever experienced. It was so bad, it was making his vision almost pitch black... or was it really that dark?

Feeling around for anything that might bring light into the place, Ryan only found wall. Stone, stone, stone and metal. One exit in this room and it was closed. He knew calling for help was pointless. Nobody could help him now. He was in Blair's hands now and they could do whatever they wanted with him.

As Ryan felt around in futility for a light switch or a loose piece of wall or anything to make the darkness go away, he felt something cold. As his eyes started to accustom to the dark and his headache started to recede, the thing came into focus. It was a very familiar sight to Ryan even though he had not seen this person in years. Now that he saw it here, the thread his sanity clung to was strained severely.

Laying in the corner was the preserved corpse of Joanna Bartlett.

Ryan gasped in shock and backed up against the opposite wall. This couldn't be happening. Blair might have been sick enough to turn the populace into the undead, but forcing one to look upon their dead relative whose demise was only known to them less than a day ago was just cruel and twisted.

It was then Ryan heard the sharp grating of metal and a glimmer of light filled the room.

"Oh, I see you've gotten acquainted with your new roommate", the voice of Piers taunted on the other side of the door.

"You sick bastard!" Ryan yelled, slamming his fists on the door, making a loud clang.

"Now, now, save your energy. One usually requires rest after sedation. You'll burn yourself out", Piers said calmly.

"Why? Why this?", Ryan demanded angrily.

"Well, she was in the morgue and I found out I had the brother of one of my victims in custody. So, I arranged a family reunion. You should be thanking me. I took her straight from cold storage to your cell", Piers replied, a hint of madness entering his voice.

"Yeah, I'll thank you. Step inside this fucking cell and I'll thank you, you psychotic bastard... You can't even kill them yourself, you have to take credit for other's hard work. What kind of fucked up maniac are you?"

"One with an alias", Piers replied. "I thought someone might stumble upon that document sooner or later. Who'd have thought it'd be her own brother?". With the irony of the situation, Piers had to laugh. "She was just as guilty as I am. She helped create the virus. The only problem was she started to develop a conscience, so I resolved the situation. Isn't that what you do, Ryan? Resolve situations?"

As Ryan turned away in disgust, all he could say was, "Don't compare yourself to me, you fucking wacko. I'm nothing like you, nor will I ever be."

Piers paused for a moment, just to let that information sink in, then said, "James Bartlett... Have you heard that name, Ryan?"

Ryan froze at the mention of his father. Emergency services were going ballistic after this outbreak. "Not Dad too...", Ryan thought, his heart rate jumping about 20 beats per minute.

"Why do you want to know? One of my family you haven't fucked with yet and you want to make a clean sweep?!?", Ryan snarled, staring holes into Piers' skull, all the while thinking, "Just come in here. Just for a minute. I won't kill you... quickly... I promise I'll make it as long and drawn-out as possible".

"Oh, it's just that we went picking through some of the remains of the Gaines PD blockades. We found one that matched your father's description, even though dental records were the only way to identify it. Even stranger was the bullet he had taken to the stomach. Oops."

Piers cackled madly as Ryan clearly started to suffer a mental meltdown.

"It was as if someone shot him and then left him to the zombies... still alive and in great pain...", Piers added, before shutting the hatch and leaving Ryan in the dark.

"You rat-fuck son-of-a-bitch!", Ryan screamed as he started ramming the door with his shoulder. The sheer anger and hatred consuming his thoughts masked any sign of pain. He kept ramming the solid metal over and over until, finally, his rage-inhibited mind realized that it was all a waste of effort. He wanted it all to stop. His whole family now confirmed dead. Their murderer outside imprisonment and him in it. Ryan, completely unable to gain retribution, nor able to even escape. Because of the cell's design, he couldn't even kill himself!

Right now, he would have done anything to make it stop. But there was nothing he could do. Nothing but look at his dead sister and wait for the frayed thread of his sanity to break once and for all...


	45. Dead Or Alive

Dr.William Birkin

The wall next to David exploded, a .44 round smashing a lamp, shards of glass flying outward, one cutting him slightly. Jumping behind an overturned table, David stared in amazement at the assassin sent with the cleaner troops. _Oh god..what the HELL did I just get myself into... _David thought, crouching even lower as bullets flew past, splintering the table, shattering into the floor and walls. The report of the handgun echoing louder, closer, with every shot. "So...THIS is the David Sunderland I've been told to kill..you really are nothing more than a whiny little coward.." laughed the assassin "Once I put a bullet in you...my mission in this hell hole is half over...1 down....7 to go..or however the hell many of you survived....oh who cares, I'll count the bodies once I'm done....". David looked up to see the assassin standing above him, the slide on his desert eagle locked back, as he reached for another clip. In a split second, David was backing up, and firing wildly, bullets flying past the assassin in an inaccurate blaze, David's eyes filled with absolute terror as the leering killer finished reloading...death had finally come for him...

Or so he thought...the man stopped, his eyes wide with panic, looking down and rubbing a hand against the site of the searing pain he felt, he wiped blood from the lung wound. One of the 9mm rounds had pierced the cleaner agents lower lung, coughing for air and spitting blood, he fell to his knees, spasm slightly in a growing pool of blood. "No....no....." the man said, pain twisting his face. "This is impossible...you're just a stupid kid...a stupid lucky kid...how the...". David stood above the man, Beretta aimed, "You're probably in a lot of pain right now..I guess the kind thing would be to just shoot you..". he said quietly. The assassin nodded quickly, hopefully...his hope died when the look of concern in David's face died with perfect timing, revealing a cold, satisfied smile. The smile of a winner, the smile of someone so hell-bent on revenge that nothing else meant anything to them, and now it was being directed at him, by his victim, the sheer irony of the situation made the killer groan in pain. "Maybe....but first...its interrogation time...question one...who are you working for." David said coldly. "This is bigger than any of you people can know..this goes beyond Blair..beyond Isis..this goes to people so powerful they could have you killed in their sleep.." the assassin groaned, squirming in pain. "Wrong answer...ok...question two...where's Piers...". The man looked puzzled "I thought your big problem was with Markenson...Piers is the guy with the vendetta against everyone else..why would you care where he is?". "Markenson may be a maniac, but he's at least partially sane, when he wants to finish this hell probably have me dragged back to him by his goon squad, the melodramatic asshole....Piers, on the other hand, is a sick motherfucker, and cant be counted on not to try and butcher the prisoners he's taken.." replied David. The dying man's laughter echoed back at David, "How touching, you're concerned for the well being of those bastards..awwwwwwwww..". David silenced the man with a kick to his head, jamming the gun closer to his face, taking the safety off. "Maybe...maybe it's just beneficial to me if they don't die yet....in any case..you won't be alive long enough to find out...". Three gunshots echoed off of the walls, the bullets striking the man in his head, David reloaded his pistol. The latest setback was over... He walked off to find Alexandra, trying to suppress the nagging doubt at his competency to be fighting these people. All he knew was he needed to get Alex out of there, and that they had both better be long gone when the cleanup squad found its "lieutenants" body...

The elevator slammed to a stop, the doors opening smoothly. Three guards walked out, followed by a very irate Markenson. The door to the cell area slammed open, and Markenson pulled his m1911 a1 .45 from its holster, aiming it at Piers. "YOU! HOW THE HELL DID YOU FIND ME HERE...aren't you busy playing with your little cleaner troops?" Markenson grabbed piers by the neck. "LOOK YOU LITTLE SHIT...it's time you gave me some explanations...such as WHY you reactivated the augmentation project, why you're up here in the damned mountains, AND WHY YOU HAVEN'T TOLD ME HOW TO KILL THAT DAMN LIZARD, WHICH IS TEARING UP THE ENTIRE DOWNTOWN AREA..WE HAD TO VACATE THE PRIMARY COMMAND CENTER THANKS TO THAT THING...". Piers looked at Markenson..his eyes developing the one noticeable attribute of the augmentation...a swelling of the veins, and a strange intense focusing of the pupils, almost mechanical. "I wouldn't go doing this if I were you....I'm not the person you knew me as..." laughed piers, wrenching Markensons grasp from his throat. "LOOK, DON'T GO BITCHING TO ME ABOUT THE PROJECT, I KNOW ABOUT IT OK? THE EYE TRICKS AND OMINOUS SPEECHES DON'T MEAN SHIT TO ME OKAY?" yelled Markenson, lowering his pistol. "NOW LOOK...you had better make DAMNED sure all of them make it here..I'm getting very tired of having segmented forces crawling all over this damn town just to track down 8 MISERABLE LITTLE BASTARDS, OK??? THIS IS ALREADY FAR BEYOND CONTROL, AND IT'S GOING TO END PRESENTLY....because if it doesn't..and they come after me..I will make damn sure you are given the painful, slow, depraved death you DESERVE, YOU STUPID SHIT BAG...." Markenson turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan lost track of where he was. He turned down so many streets that looked the same he didn't know where he was heading. All he knew was that some big dino was about the kill him if he didn't get outta here. Whizzing by another street he saw the path to the industrial section. Turning he saw the barricade. His car slamming into it sideways.

Hitting his head on the wheel he felt dizzy. Looking around he saw as much as heard the dino bearing down on him. It smashed it's giant claws fist through the roof tearing metal into Nathan's shoulder. Screaming in pain he tried to get free. The dino's foot came crashing down on the top crushing Nathan inside. He felt the sheer weight of it crushing the metal into him deeper. There was blood everywhere. He managed to get loose from the metal in his shoulder but found himself on the floor of the car while everything came crashing down. He knew he was going to die but hoped that it would've been after he had killed Piers.

"I'm sorry I failed you dad. I'm sorry for everything."

He silently wished everyone the best of luck as he watched the creature bring it's foot down for the killing blow. Blood draining from his face through the open wound on his cheek from the breaking glass. He closed his eyes and said his final words.

"Samantha,...I love you."

The foot came down and crashed onto the car for the final time crushing him inside. Soon he would think no-more.

Jill Valentine

A beautiful golden light beckoned her to approach the heavenly gates, that were built of pure silver, and lined with magnificent balls of pearls. A soft mist whirled gently underneath her, and Vanessa felt as though she were flying; away from Gaines, away from Jarred and the others, and away from her life...

In a quick glance, her life flashed back before her, leaving her breathless with emotions, memories, and experiences over come by her during her 16 years. A small white figure emerged from the misty clouds that surrounded her, revealing an old, yet warm, smiling face that she knew she recognized as her grandmother.

"Granma-ma?" she whispered, tears filling her eyes with wonder.

"Vanessa, my grand daughter." the old woman replied, encircling her arms around Vanessa in a warm embrace. "It is not yet your time to go."

Vanessa looked completely confused, dazed, and uncertain of what her grandmother was trying to say.

"I am not dead?" she asked.

"No." her grandmother replied."your mind and spirit still lives inside you. It is your body that has been weakened, my child."

"But Granma-ma, I don't understand I thought-"

The old woman smiled at Vanessa, her face beaming with light, warmth, and love, as she ran her fingers through her golden auburn hair.

"You haven't changed a bit since the last time I saw you. More beautiful perhaps, but still that innocent, loving nature, which was that of your mothers."

The rose-burnt wrinkled skin that formed her lips curved up gently, as her entire body frame glowed wonderfully, as though she was an angel sent by god.

"I love you, Vanessa." Her grandma continued. "But it is not yet your time to go. You must stay here. You must stay here and look after him."

Vanessa widened her eyes in amazement.

"You mean...Jarred?"

"Yes."

Before Vanessa could respond, the light was vastly disappearing, although it was being sucked into an unknown black hole. The figure that was once her grand mother had disappeared, and Vanessa awoke, finding herself alone in that very same room she left in. No blood stains. No bullet wound. No pain. She felt as though she had been re-born and given another chance to live; and that was a moment she would never forget.

"Jarred? Where are you?!"

Claire Redfield

Winsor could only stare at the hall and back at the room where Vanessa's corpse laid. John walked to the side of the wall, putting his head on it. Then without warning he started to punch it.

"Son of a bitch!" he yelled. "Everything is fucked now! Everyone is gone or dead!"

Winsor didn't know what to do. For the first time in her life she was scared to death. Vanessa was dead and despite everything Winsor did to antagonize her and piss her off, she was afraid to admit it, but she thought that she had made a friend. No matter how many times Winsor pushed the others aside, they still helped her. The only thing that she returned in favor was sarcasm.

__

But you did help, didn't you? You helped Alex with her arm...

One thing. One goddamn thing that she could remember doing that wasn't selfish. It was eating her from the inside. She kept thinking about how she should be dead instead of Vanessa. Vanessa didn't deserve to be killed.

John punched at the wall again until there was a small crack growing on the plaster. Winsor slowly staggered toward him. There was still pain in her back, but she ignored it just like her feelings, but now things would start to change. Slowly at the most. She grabbed John's arm before he could punch the wall again.

"Listen, things are bad now, but they will get worse if you can't control yourself," she said.

"Really? When did you give a damn about anyone? Nathan?" he snapped. She was expecting him to say something like that.

She slowly thought about what to say when John glared at her and opened his mouth again. "Surprise me. Because all you care about is yourself. Do you even care about Nathan? I think you're using him-"

"You want to be surprised," she spat, "I care about everyone! I care about Nathan! I care about Ryan! I care about Alex, Jarred, and Vanessa! Hell, I care about you and David! The only reason why I am selfish and alone all the time is because I don't want anyone to cry if I die! I don't deserve it! You think that you are angry and confused and feel all that emotional shit right now, but try feeling that twenty-four-seven!"

John just stared at her in awe, but she knew she had to continue to make it clear that she knew what everyone was going though. She took a deep breath and started again.

"Your friends died and you were close to them. That was good; you were close to them. Me? I feel close to people when I push them away the most. Because if anything happened to them, I would lose it and probably commit suicide. I am confused and angry too. Everyone you....we care for are gone or dead and if we don't control these emotions and feelings and all those mentally confusing things we'll end up dead like them. I don't know about Nathan or Ryan or David or Alex or Jarred, but emotions are a bitch and sometimes it's best to hold them back at times. If it was between me and Vanessa, I would want to be the one who got shot instead."

"If you got shot, you would be surprise at how many people would miss you," said a voice coming behind them.

John's eyes widened in shock as his mouth began to drop. The voice was horrifyingly familiar and Winsor turned.

Vanessa walked out of the doorway. She walked perfectly normal and looked healthy despite the bloodstain on her blouse. John walked past Winsor and went up to Vanessa, his gaze looking everywhere on her body.

"You're-you're alive, but how?" he asked, his voice stuttering a bit.

Winsor felt herself go pale, her thoughts muddling together for an explanation for it herself when she remembered about the vial. She swallowed hard and fought the emotions growing inside her. Happiness and relief, two things that would make herself happy to show to everyone, but she held it inside her.

"The vial, dumbfounded John," Winsor said in a slick tone and also trying to be herself. "That or she's the first ever zombie to look normal and speak like an actual person."

Vanessa smiled. "I heard everything."

Winsor scowled and turned her head away. She mentally smiled to herself in happiness that Vanessa, her friend, was alive.

"I-are you alright?" John asked and Winsor had to fight the urge to make another sarcastic remark.

"Yeah, I guess the vial does work on bullet wounds. Where's Jarred?" Vanessa said.

"He took off. We thought you were dead," John said.

With all the emotions being shown, Winsor sighed and then slowly added to the statement.

"And if we don't take off, we'll be the ones who are dead."

City of the Dead

Nathan braced himself for the final impact....But the blow never came, instead, it was a barrage of gunfire, all coming from automatics.

"Bring it down" Nathan heard a voice yell over the blazing bullets, followed by a deafening roar, obviously from the beast.

In a matter of minutes, the battle outside was over with a huge rumbling. Whoever it was that had fought the beast, had won. All of a sudden, Nathan heard voices all around him, and boots hitting the pavement. He was surrounded. He knew the Blair cleaners were outside, he was as good as dead, until a piece of sheet metal was ripped off the top of him, and he came face to face with Keel.

"I've got him" Keel yelled with a smile on his face. It was now painfully obvious which side of the fence he was on. Nathan groaned in pain as Keel gripped his shoulder, pulling him out of the wreckage.

Nathan looked around to see several cleaner troops gathered around the body of the creature, all cheering wildly at its defeat. Keel shoved him forward, directing him into an alley. Nathan was a little disoriented, and a little too weak to put up a resistance, weakened both physically and emotionally. Keel put him against the brick wall and then spoke.

"Listen Nathan, you and your friends need to get out of here in a hurry" Keel said to him.

"What?" Nathan asked out of complete surprise.

"Turns out, there are a few executives in Isis that were working with Blair the whole time, and my entire unit was wiped out by the cleaners, I joined up with them so I could protect you guys, we've been told to kill all of you, but I won't let that happen" Keel said.

"Why? Why are you helping us? What's going on?" Nathan asked.

"Because, I'm not a cold blooded murderer, I wasn't sent here to kill a bunch of innocent teenagers, I was sent here to help, and that's what I'm going to do" Keel said glancing towards the alley's entrance, making sure the coast was clear.

"Alright, you know the subway station right?" Keel asked.

"Uh yeah, I've forgotten all about it" Nathan responded.

"Okay, there is an entrance by the hospital, that is where the subway train is parked right now, get it running and let it take you to the other side of town, you should be okay there, everyone is looking for you Downtown, you'll be safe over there" Keel explained.

"But what about Ryan? That bastard Piers took him" Nathan asked.

"I'll leave that up to you, all I can do right now is tell you how to get someplace safe, now, the industrial district circles all of Gaines, you can access it on the other side of town, and take the mountain roads out of town...or look for your friend, Blair's main factory is centered somewhere in the mountains" Keel said.

"Thanks" Nathan said with gratitude.

"Like I said, I'm here to help, do not trust anyone else" Keel said running out of the alley to join up with the rest of the soldiers.

Nathan ran the opposite direction, he had to go get everyone else. He began thinking how foolish he was to run off to city hall and leave everyone else, he was no good to anyone dead, and he started to worry about Sam, he had left her in an injured state and he had no idea if she was okay or not, he had to find her...

The sunlight had drained the park of all its darkness. Jarred sat in the main recreational area, where the bodies of several hunters still lay. He had given up hope, given up on leaving, on everything. He had failed her, and now he felt nothing. No reason to go on, no reason to do anything.

"I'm sorry Vanessa, I'm sorry I couldn't have done more to help, I'm sorry it wasn't me that took the bullet instead, I'm just sorry I was a disappointment to you" Jarred whispered to himself.

He leaned back in the park bench and looked up at the morning sky. It was filled with dark storm clouds, sunlight crept through their tiny crevices, but it wasn't enough to fully bask the park in sunlight. It always looked like it was going to rain.

He got up from the bench and stood against the metal railing that circled around the large fountain. It almost seemed like everything was normal again, the park was very peaceful, even the moans of the zombies had begun to die out.

Jarred stepped away from the fountain and paced around for a bit, until he was suddenly snapped out of his despair by the sounds of marching and moving vehicles. He quietly snuck over to the other side of the park and gazed through the bushes. On the other side, it looked like an exodus, hundreds of uniformed soldiers all marching down the street, It looked like they were either moving out, or heading into another area.

"That's odd," Jarred whispered. "What the hell are they doing?"

Just then, a black Helicopter with a Blair logo on the side, flew by, and it was heading towards...

"The Clock Tower? Why the hell are they heading to the clock tower?" Jared whispered.

This doesn't make any sense, it almost looks like they're...

"Are they really retreating?" He silently said.

And then without warning, a hand covered his mouth and yanked him backwards, he struggled for freedom, but was overpowered by his captor. He was dragged towards the other side of the park, he fumbled with his belt, trying to access his weapons, but couldn't get to them. Then the grip around him loosened and Jarred jumped up, aiming a pistol into his assailant's face.

"Keel?" He said, caught off guard.

"Shhhh," Keel motioned.

"What the hell is going on?" Jarred whispered, lowering his weapon.

"Long story, the Isis mission was a bust from the beginning, several executives are in partnership with Blair, and now they've ordered that both squads seek out and destroy the other survivors, but no, I wasn't sent here to kill innocent people, I was sent to help anyone I could, so I'm sticking to my mission plan," Keel explained.

"So what's going on with this movement here?" Jarred asked.

"We were all ordered for extraction, we're leaving and I think I know why," Keel said.

"Why?" Jarred asked.

"I think the outside is catching on to what's going on, and they want all their troops and higher-ups out of here, but Jarred, listen to me, you and your friends need to get out of here now, I ran into Nathan earlier, and told him about the subway train near the hospital, you guys should take that, and head to the other side of Gaines, as you know the industrial district circles the city, you can make it to there, and then head out that way, but be careful, Blair's main factory is around there somewhere, and I don't think its exactly vacant right now," Keel explained further.

"What are you going to do?" Jarred asked.

"I'm going to do what I was sent here to do, I'm going to help out everyone I can," Keel smiled.

"How are you going to do that?" Jarred asked again.

"Heh heh, lets just say the cleaners are going to make quite a mess," Keel laughed silently. "But get going Jarred, get out of here, good luck pal."

"Thanks for all your help," Jarred said, running off towards the park entrance and then heading out. Apparently Keel was on their side, but he still wasn't sure whether or not he should trust him or not. Jarred's mind shifted once more to Vanessa, the thought of leaving town without her was almost unbearable, tears already formed in his eyes, but he had to press on. He set his course for the crumbling News building, hoping to find John and Winsor still there...


	46. Bad Timing For Everything

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan ran hard. Determined to tell the others what he knew. Reaching another street he saw an apartment complex. He remembered being there once. Something about a fellow wrestler living there,....Mike! That was it, and he knew Mike's apartment code! Rushing to the door, he opened it and stepped inside. Hitting the code he heard the soft buzzer go off telling him it was unlocked. Grabbing the door, he rushed inside and took the steps rather then the elevator. Doubting the power worked and after the incident at the news building, Nathan didn't want to be near another elevator. Taking them two at a time he held a hand to his cracked ribs and winced in pain. Getting to the third floor he opened the door and ran down the hall to Mike's apt. He wasn't surprised to find it unlocked and open. Stepping inside he started his search. The keys to his dad's car had to be hear some where. With the car he could get the others and back to the hospital in no time. Ryan's life depended on it. Finally he found them. Grabbing them from the hook they were on he rushed back out and down to the basement level. Opening the underground parking lot he looked for Mike's car. There! In the corner it sat. A 2001 Ford Explorer that he had just bought. Fumbling with the keys for a moment he finally got them into the lock and with a half turn it clicked unlocked. Getting in he started it up and drove to the gate. Hitting the small garage door opener like switch the gate opened and Nathan was on his way but as he sped out he nearly ran over,....._Jarred! What the hell was he doing here? _Nathan beeped the horn and Jarred turned.

"Jarred get in man!"

Jarred went to the passengers side and opened the door hoping in.

"Nathan? What the hell are you doing here man?"

"Saving the world what else." Nathan joked.

"Your a little late, Nessa....she's....gone Nath,...it's my fault." Jarred solemnly spoke.

"What? What are you talking about?"

Jarred told Nathan about the bullet that killed Vanessa as Nathan drove to the news station. Nathan said nothing as his friend told him about it all. After he was done Nathan told him about Piers and Ryan and together they smiles about Keel's intervention.

"I just wish things were different Nathan that's all."

"I know man. All we can do is try to save the people left man. How's Sam doing?" he asked.

"She's better. She's a tough one." Jarred answered.

"Oh, I know the truth of that." smiled Nath.

They pulled up to the station and parked outside the front. Jarred hoping out before it stopped in his desperate urge to get to Nessa and take her body out of here. Nathan slowly got out holding his ribs with one arm. As he walked towards the building he wiped some blood from his cheek and tied his undershirt tighter around his waist sending fresh flames of pain into himself. He had to stop the bleeding. The cut on his cheek wasn't bad and neither were his ribs so much as just god-damn sore, but the slash on his side was bad. The shirt was keeping it closed but he still lost a lot of blood. Jarred came rushing out with Vanessa's hand held firmly in his own. Both were smiling. John came out next with another "You crazy son of a bitch" looks on his face but clearly glad to see him alive. Then Samantha stepped out. She still looked like an angel to him. He winced in pain as he tried to lift his arm forgetting about the ribs.

Sam took of running for him. All she could think about was how glad she was to see him again. She practically jumped on him but stopped when he cried out suddenly. She noticed the dried blood on his face and the soaked T-shirt around his waist. He was in a very bad way. Suddenly his eyes rolled back and he passed out from the loss of blood. She grabbed him to stop him from hitting the pavement. His wound reopened as fresh blood flowed again from his waist.

"Nathan!" Sam screamed.

"We have to get him to the hospital!" stated Jarred.

"There we can patch him up and get to the sub-way." he continued.

"Why the sub-way?" asked John.

"Cause it runs to the other side of town near the mountains,....where Ryan is. Piers has him Nathan said and he needs us!" answered Jarred.

"Then what the hell are we waiting for?" asked John as he lifted Nathan's limp body and walked it to the Explorer. Placing him in the very back with Sam so he could lie down, John took the drivers seat while Nessa and Jarred hoped into the back. John sped away to the hospital hoping that Nath could hold on just a little while longer.

Sam couldn't believe this. If Nathan died after just being reunited with her she'd lose it. She stroked his forehead softly as she spoke reassuring words to him. Anything to keep him fighting. Finally forgetting about being secluded like she normally was she won the mental battle and gave in to her true feelings and spoke them quietly to Nathan in a hope to keep him going.

Jarred hoped that Nathan could hold on long enough. He hadn't seen the wound before, but when he did he knew it was bad. When they got there they'd have to find something to give him a blood transfusion. That was if the could find out his blood type first!

Dr.William Birkin

The conversation was Markensons nightmare, now he had to talk down one of the Isis executives, and that would be no easy task. "Yes...sir...sir look, the whole incident is well under our control now, yes..including piers..." he said in a frustrated tone, wanting nothing more than to shoot the damned telephone if for just a moment of silence. "THIS IS TOP PRIORITY BRIAN..LET ME REMIND YOU IT IS BECAUSE OF ME THAT YOU ARE BEING SPARED!" screamed the static voice of the executive, interruptions from the damaged phone lines making themselves known, "Sir, I haven't forgotten that.." You arrogant son of a bitch... , Markenson almost laughed, wanting to yell that at the self righteous bastard. "Remember..Piers MUST DIE...if word of the augmentation project goes public we have lost any chance of having the department of defense give us the green light for rolling out the technology, this is PARAMOUNT TO OUR AGENDA!". Markenson slammed the receiver down after hearing the click of a dead connection. "GOD DAMNIT, IS THERE NOTHING THAT WORKS IN THIS DAMNED TOWN!" he screamed, his harsh voice echoing off of the walls. "I uh..I'll go have a look at that sir.." replied an intimidated soldier, practically running out of the office rather than face any reprimand from the enraged security director...

David walked down the rubble strewn street, the sounds of someone speeding around in a car echoing throughout the otherwise silent town. He had been utterly silent since he and Alex had gotten out of the city hall. "David, you still haven't explained fully what the hell is going on" said Alex, angry at his lack of conversation, "You've been fuming and silent since we got out of there now what the hell is wrong...". David turned to look at her, "If I tried to explain you wouldn't understand...the worst part is now you care nothing for me..hell, you don't even remember who I am..." he said sadly "meaning they've already won in a way...". "But...that's not true..I..I think I remember you...vaguely...and even if I don't, I do still care whether you live or die David.." she said quietly. "...Alex..if..if we don't make it out of here...I want you to know that..well..I love you..." he said, leaning forward to kiss her.

The sentimental moment was destroyed by the sudden, triumphant, reptile like cry, drowning out the sounds of gunfire. "David...? What was that?" said Alex, shaking slightly as another roar penetrated the air. "I don't know and I don't think I want to.." replied David, pulling Alexandra with him as he ran forward down the street GODDAMNIT! NOT NOW...THIS JUST HAS TO HAPPEN RIGHT NOW! David cursed the town silently under his breath, becoming very irritated with the horrible timing these monstrosities had..


	47. Interrigation Of Mouth And Mind

Carlos Oliveira

He stood in his room waiting for his mother to call for dinner. Looking around he saw his things. Toys, books, clothes, sports equipment. Rushing over he grabbed his favorite toy. A G.I. Joe. The closest to his dad that he could get.

"Take that Cobra Commander." he said as he made them attack each other.

"I cannot be defeated!!" he said talking for Cobra Commander.

"That's cuz you've never fought me before!" said the other character.

"Dinners ready Son!" came a man's voice from downstairs.

"Coming daddy!" the boy yelled back.

He watched as the boy ran downstairs to eat. Reaching down he picked up the G.I. Joe.

"Dad." he whispered.

Looking around he felt at peace. He went downstairs and sat at the table with the others. They were all eating.

"Hey dad? Are you going to come to the game tomorrow?" asked the boy.

"If I have to work son I'll just call in sick ok?" the father answered with a wink.

He smiled. He knew that wink well. He had inherited it. Smiling he stood and walked to the mother. He tried to touch her but his hand passed right through. Pulling it back slowly his smile faltered, then disappeared.

Walking quickly from the house he closed the door behind himself and realized he was at another home. A man was lying in a puddle of blood. He looked upon and saw...himself standing there with tears streaming down his cheeks as he left. He followed him out the door, but again it changed. He was looking at a woman giving birth. His birth. He smiled as his mother pushed and he heard the crying sound from his younger self. He ran out to tell his dad and again found himself in another room. The underground tunnels. He was standing beside his father again. Or what was left of him as he saw himself shooting him, taking him down again. Not being able to bare it he ran again and stopped. In front of him was Lina. Standing there looking all smug.

"Your pathetic Nathan!" she screamed.

"No." he whispered.

The face changed to Piers.

"Your worthless boy! Just like your father!" he said.

"No." Nathan again replied with more voice.

Again into his father.

"You failed me son." he whispered.

"No." he cried back, "I tried dad!"

Into Samantha.

"You're a stupid Jock Nathan. How could I ever love you! You're pathetic!" she taunted.

"NO!" he screamed, "I REFUSE TO THINK OF YOU LIKE THAT SAM NOT EVEN HERE WOULD I BELIEVE THAT! I KNOW YOU LOVE ME! NOW EITHER ADMIT IT OR BE GONE!!" He screamed.

__

Nathan please come back,....I love you,....

He looked around for the voice.

"You're nothing Nathan!" Sam yelled at him.

__

Nathan I need you please don't leave me,......

"Wha?!?" he said staring around for the source.

"YOUR NOTHING NATHAN!! A WORTHLESS MAN JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER!! SAM COULD NEVER LOVE YOU!!" The vision screamed again.

"NO! Shut up dammit just shut up!" Nathan screamed as he welcomed the voice he heard.

__

Nathan? Wake up please......

__

"Nathan? Are you awake? Please wake up! For me Nathan please." The voice said again.

"Nathan? Are you ok? Answer me please. I love you Nathan...don't leave me."

"S...Sam?" he managed through the pain. He saw her face and smiled to her. He gave her a wink before closing his eyes again as he laid in her lap. He was tired and needed to sleep.

Joker

Ryan lay in his confinement awaiting deliverance from the mental persecution he was suffering. Anyone, even a guard putting a bullet into his head, that would do. Against his better judgment, Ryan had fallen asleep. He figured it would be no different to when he was awake. His mind was still going through Armageddon. He didn't wake up until he was forced to by an armed guard kicking him swiftly in the ribs.

Ryan was ushered down corridor after corridor, the twisted maze no different to the path to his sanity... hard to follow. He toyed with the idea of taking the guard's gun and blowing his own head off, but, even in this off-balance state, Ryan wouldn't contemplate suicide. If he was going to end a life, it would be that of his tormentor...

Ryan was thrust down into a chair, a harsh light shining at roughly face level. The typical scene for an interrogation.

"So, Ryan, how was your accommodation?", Piers began.

"Dark", was all Ryan could say in response. He didn't even mention the fact he was in a cell with a corpse that just happened to be family. Cognitive dissonance could do wonders for one's sense of priorities. Specifically, it could screw them up royally.

"Hm", Piers grunted. "Ok, Ryan, you know what I want. Where are your little friends hiding?"

Ryan immediately burst out laughing, laughing as if he had just been subjected to the world's funniest joke.

"What... What are you laughing about?!?" Piers shouted indignantly. "Sergeant! Silence him!"

The soldier reversed his weapon and rifle-butted Ryan in the stomach. Ryan yelled briefly in pain and slumped slightly in his chair.

"Now, let's try again," Piers said. "Where are your friends?"

Again, Ryan burst into hysterical laughter, making Piers, for all his augmentations, quite embarrassed that he could not properly interrogate a 17 year old.

"You know, you're starting to go bald", Ryan said before bursting into laughter again.

"Shut up!", Piers shouted, obviously not amused by Ryan's antics. "I'll have you castrated, I swear to God!"

"Why? You looking for a set?", Ryan retorted, continuing to laugh hysterically.

Piers, blinded with rage, exited the room, Ryan's laughter following him until he shut the door and started speaking with one of the psychiatrists called in to listen to the interrogation to pick up anything Piers might miss.

"Why? Why is he acting like that?" Piers shouted at the company "shrink".

"Clearly he's lost touch with reality", the shrink commented. "I don't think leaving him with his dead sister and news of his father's demise would have helped. You'll get nothing out of him this way."

Looking through the two-way mirror, they could still see that Ryan was laughing. At them (or, more accurately, the mirror), at the armed guards, at a doorknob, anything that was around him.

"Well, how can I get anything out of him now?!?" Piers asked angrily.

"Sir, I'm not sure you can. I mean, he's still only young. That onslaught you subjected him to may have made him snap. He was already unstable to begin with and this outbreak would have made it worse. Then, you make it worse still with that stunt."

Piers growled ominously. "Well, if he can't tell us anything, then he's no good to us. I think I'll just end his miserable existence now."

Ryan was still laughing.

"Wait", the shrink said urgently. "You still need him as insurance for those other meddling kids..."

"Hmm... I suppose you have a point at that... Then I'll just see how much information I can extract. Failing that, I'll fuck his mind over completely and then deliver him to his friends that way."

Piers went back in to interrogate Ryan.

"Ok, Ryan, I have a deal for you. If you tell me where your friends are lurking, particularly Nathan Law, Jarred Orr and David Sunderland, I will let you walk away from here with your life. Does that sound fair?"

Ryan stopped laughing.

"Oh, yes, sir. Mighty fair. But I think I have a better solution."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"How about... you go fuck yourself!"

Ryan immediately started laughing hysterically again.

"How about I make another family reunion for you? You see, Ryan, I have the monopoly here.. I own the Mayfair and the Park Lane. You are merely a small piece of this life-sized game..."

Ryan stopped laughing and glared at Piers with homicidal intent dancing about in his eyes. The sudden change in his expression took Piers slightly off-guard, but, for a fleeting moment, he thought he had the desired response.

"In that case, how about you go directly to Hell, do not pass GO and do not collect $200?", Ryan said flatly.

Piers was fuming. It was possible that Ryan had facilitated his own insanity just to piss him off. Piers wasn't the only one who could play psychological warfare.

"Take him back to his cell!", Piers barked. The sergeant behind him quickly shoved Ryan out of the interrogation room and back into a cell.

Ryan looked around. His sister was nowhere to be seen. In fact, the cell looked cleaner than when he had left it. On the wall, before the cell door slammed shut, Ryan noticed a piece of paper stuck to the wall. Taking it, he read:

__

Don't give up.

Ryan quickly pocketed the paper. He didn't know what the hell it was about or who had left it there but either he had made a friend here which wasn't likely, his friends had already gotten inside and were thinking of a way to get him out which was impossible and wishful thinking to boot or they were just trying to screw with his mind further which was extremely likely.

"No more...", Ryan said to himself as he slid down the wall into a sitting position.

"No more. I will make it stop..."

Jill Valentine

Jarred's heart ached as he re-entered the News station; for the last time he had been in that building, he had felt nothing but despair and hopelessness. He had lost Vanessa, the first, and only one he had truly felt for, the only one that he felt he couldn't live without.

"She wouldn't of wanted me to result to suicide because of her death...No she wouldn't of wanted that..."

He paced on slowly through the dim-lit corridor, the scent of burnt paper and metal wayfaring all around him. The smell had once sickened him as it casually entered his lungs; but he had grown immune to such strong chemical fumes, since this city was now a living ship wreck.

As he turned the corner, something caught his eye. At first he thought he was imagining it, but as he re-opened his eyes to reveal the true reality which surrounded him, he knew it was no figment of his imagination. It was her. She was Alive?

"V...Vanessa?" he called, hearing his own voice shook by his overwhelmed astonishment. "I thought you were.."

Her pale face stared back at him, through her passionately loving eyes; a thorough, sincere look based inside them as a smile warmed her frown.

"Jarred..."

The softness of her voice set a gentle peacefulness in his ears like that of an angel; for he had never imagined a moment like this in his entire life; it was just like in a movie.

"No it can't be possible...it can't be possible, I saw you die in that room."

Embracing her with the most passionate kiss possible, he held onto her, tight, as though he never wanted to let her go.

"I thought you were dead..." he repeated, sobs erupting from his rugged throat, as his grip tightened around her waist.

"I missed you too...I had a vision...a vision of my granma-ma...oh who cares! At least I'm back here with you!" she cried, smugly sinking her face into the warmth of Jarred's shoulder. Suddenly, she stopped, pulling away from him, placing a firm grip on his shoulders, so she got his immediate attention.

"The bullet," she began."The bullet...it's gone. There's no scar. No...just nothing."

She pulled open the top her shirt to reveal nothing but the smooth milky skin that formed over the area underneath her collar bone; the only evidence of an injury indicated by the blood stain on her shirt.

"Now that's impossible."

------------------------------------------

***Back in the car****

The locomotive spark of the car's engine hissed loudly as John chucked the car into first gear, the tires screeching down the raw bitumen road. It was a tight squeeze into the back seat, but it would be comfortable enough to last the entire way to the hospital. There was no time to waste, because the other's knew that if Nathan didn't get some serious medical attention soon, he could be in a very critical condition, which could even result in his death.

"Faster John, for Christ's sake!" Winsor pleaded as she gently cradled Nathan's head in her lap.

"Hey, if I go any faster, my face will change shape."

A chuckle was heard from Nathan, followed by painful coughs and gurgles.

"Nathan shhh...if you want to at least die peacefully, stop laughing." Winsor joked, a smile appearing on Nathan's face as he stared up at her.

He reached his hand out to her face, and gently stroked it with his fingers, her hair swaying freely in the wind, and the faint dirt marks smudged across her rosy cheeks invisible to the source of light he was given to see her.

"You are so beautiful..."he whispered, staring up at her through loving eyes.

Winsor tried to hold back the smile that ached from inside her, by instead biting her lip and feeling it tremble with emotions of love and sincerity; and then there was that permanent sense of isolation.

__

Oh god...why does he have to look at me like that...Why doesn't this feeling just go away?!

Although she knew deep down that she truly loved him, it was not in the characteristic rights of herself to express the way she felt, freely; especially in front of the others...

"You should get some rest," she responded, looking away from his emotional gaze. "We have a long day ahead of us."

Claire Redfield

Nathan closed his eyes as Winsor slowly stroked Nathan's hair. She watched as streets passed by, a zombie here and there.

"I don't see that many zombies out," Jarred mumbled to Vanessa, who was right next to him in a small embrace. "Maybe Keel and his men are helping us."

"Keel?" Vanessa asked. Winsor was thinking the same thing and she would probably guess John was when he looked in the rearview mirror at Jarred.

"When I left you guys I met this guy..."Jarred started. Everyone seemed to be paying attention to him except Nathan and Winsor. Nathan was sleeping and Winsor was looking out the windows.

Everything is changing...

__

This could be good-

It's going to get bad- her mind argued. Usually things get worse before they get any better or so she has heard.

John made a turn and ran over rubble or holes in the street because the truck started to jump. Nathan winced and let out a groan making Winsor nervous on the spot.

"John, please avoid potholes and other crap," Winsor said, trying to make it sound like sarcasm, but it came out like a plea.

"I'm trying! But we're not running over potholes," John said. "And you don't want to know."

Everyone was silent as the truck jumped over again. Jarred held Vanessa closer to him. Winsor saw Vanessa whisper something into Jarred's ear.

__

Maybe "love" shit-

-and she realized that she had said the most traditional romance verse to Nathan. She cared for him, maybe loved, but that was the question. She didn't know much about love. No that was an understatement. She knew nothing about love. She cared deeply for Nathan, more than her friends and somehow that made her happy.

__

But how do you know you are in love, not in love, or in denial?

Nathan let out another groan and she looked at his side. Blood was seeping through his shirt and already stained the carpeting in the truck. She didn't know how bad it was, but it was worse than his cheek. Winsor looked at the others and back at Nathan. The bleeding had to be stopped-

-She went to move and she felt the small stab of pain in her back. She realized she had lost her backpack, along with the metal bat and whatever else was in the backpack. She sighed and moved her hands to her shirt only to see the jacket for the first time. It was a school year jacket; the one with the year of graduation or something like that. She knew she would never wear something like that. For one thing, it was too big for her. She put her hands on it, flattening it against her body and felt her chest touch it. Her shirt was gone and she was glad that it was already zipped up for embarrassment reasons. She looked at the corner and noticed the name LAW on the left breast side.

__

Nathan's jacket? Why? Where is my shirt?

Maybe when she was hurt by the elevator cable or whatever hit her back, it torn her shirt. She remembered being on the ladder and then Nathan grabbing her after she felt pain. Anything else she couldn't remember at that very moment.

__

He cares about me. He loves me...

What could Winsor do in return?

She watched as Nathan's head almost moved out of her lap. She gently touched it with both hands and leaned down to his face, ignoring the pain of her back. If she opened the wound, she opened it and didn't care. She brushed his hair and whispered to him. She remembered when they embraced each other in the park after he saved her and after his battle with the Nemesis on the church. And their kiss. Her first kiss ever from anyone. A kiss of that only love could have made her feel that way.

"Nathan, please live. You can't die on me. I...I don't know what I can do in turn for everything you've done for me. All I know is...I love you."

And with that she kissed his lips-

-and the truck came to a stop suddenly, making her fall to her side and slam her head against the back seat. She felt Nathan's body moved just slightly.

"Jesus John," Jarred yelled. Vanessa shot a look back at Winsor and Nathan. Winsor slowly rose her head, and winced as she felt the side of her head.

"Sorry 'bout that," John said coolly. "A dog ran by and it looked weird. I don't know, a zombie too I guess."

"Then run it over. Decrease the surplus population," Winsor muttered.

"Dammit, she's back to normal," John said smiling and rolling his eyes. "Just when-hey! We've got company!"

Jarred leaned forward and smiling. "I think it's Keel." Winsor felt her heart lighten up as if she was feeling hope. That or it was from her back, or the forming headache. Denial? Yes, she knew she it was.

She found herself starting to smile, for Nathan, for everyone, for everything-

-when Vanessa had shot the thoughts down with a nervous look. "If Keel's a friend, why are these guys pointing their guns at us?"

City of the Dead

The hospital was only about three blocks down the street, and five armed cleaner soldiers stood in the way.

"GET OUT OF THE CAR NOW!!!" One of the guards yelled.

Suddenly, the ground shook softly.

"Well, I forgot to tell you, Keel is our only friend out of these bastards, everyone else still wants to kill us" Jarred whispered. "They must be bringing up the rear on the evacuation"

Another small tremor shook the ground.

"Well, what do we do?" Vanessa asked softly.

And the ground shook once more.

"What is that?" Winsor finally asked as the vibrations continued. "Oh my god"

She knew damned well what it was; they had heard it before, when that dinosaur creature trashed the news station, inadvertently nearly killing her with an elevator.

"Okay guys, stay in the car no matter what" Jarred said opening the door.

"GET DOWN ON THE GROUND" the cleaner yelled.

Jarred walked out in front of the vehicle and looked around the area, trying to find out where the creature was going to appear. The troops grabbed him by the arms and shoved him forward. The other three ran over to the vehicle and yelled at everyone inside. Suddenly, the rumbles became consistent and louder.

"Someone's cranky" Jarred said to himself. Everyone took notice of the quakes and the troops loosened their grip on Jarred's arms.

The other cleaners continued their attempts at getting everyone else out of the car, when a colossal figure appeared from around the street corner. It's lizard-like head nudged the overhead traffic lights.

"Oh god..." Winsor said staring at the beast in front of him.

This one was different, the one that had trashed the news building was more of a greenish color, and this one was a dark gray.

"SHOOT IT!!" One of the soldiers yelled, opening fire on the creature.

With a mighty roar, the beast lunged towards the closest guard and clamped down on him with its massive jaws. Jarred scurried back over to the car, running past the giant creature and the cleaners. The creature shook its head violently and snapped the screaming man in two, tossing both pieces aside, as the other cleaners fought for their lives.

"GO GO GO" Jarred yelled at John.

John cranked the engine and stomped down on the gas pedal. The car jerked forward and sped off past the battle. Winsor looked back to see the monster viciously slaughter the remaining soldiers. She had chosen her name for the creature. "Jaws", sure it wasn't the most creative name in the world, but she wasn't setting out to win any awards.

The car swerved wildly and came to a stop in front of the hospital.

"Okay guys, lets get Nathan all fixed up" John said...

interrogating 


	48. History Repeating Itself

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan was standing in front of a dark clad figure. His skeletal arms raised out to Nathan, to welcome him. Nathan wasn't moving, but for some reason he was getting closer. Someone told him to live. He turned and was looking directly into Sam's face.

"Sam?"

Samantha leaned forward and kissed him softly, gently. Nathan felt himself being drawn back by her kiss. He felt her holding him. Drawing him back to life.

He opened his eyes and caught the briefest sight of Sam kissing him before she was taken from his view and he was tossed slightly, but enough for the pain and loss of blood to knock him out again.

When he awoke again he was being lifted by John and Jarred. They were carrying him somewhere. He didn't know where but hoped it was safe. He looked over and saw Vanessa walking next to them. She looked to him and smiles reassuringly. Nathan felt alone. Even though his friends were there he felt alone. Then a hand lifted his. He turned and felt life rush into his lungs again, back into his soul. Sam was holding his hand and looking very worried. Nathan winked and Sam smiled. Feeling very tired he passed out again as they carried him. Nathan knew that he might not wake up again but if he did,...things were going to be different.

Dr.William Birkin

The window shattered, glass falling to the floor of the dark storeroom in a shower of crystal shards, the beam of David's flashlight pierced the darkness, refracting off of the glass, the dust floating in the still air. The room had been isolated from the sunlight by a rubble pile, suspended in a nightmarish void, reminding David of the living hell last night had been. _And its not over yet.. . _David climbed down into the room, checking if it was clear and then pulling Alex down, they had run from the lizard monstrosity, to the only place they knew was safe, the hospital. The entrance to the back was locked, the entry to the front too risky, the troops would have had them pinned down easily. "David...are you sure this is the right place? It's awfully dirty to be a hospital..looks more like a sewer or something..." Alex said, shivering slightly in the icy, suspended air of the basement. "Yeah..I'm sure...are you ok? You seem cold..here, take this.." David removed his m47 jacket, giving it to Alex. "Thanks..you sure you'll be ok?" she replied, David ignored the cold, which easily penetrated through the black t shirt he had on, the front of which sported a large nuclear symbol. "Yeah..I'm just fine..it's not that cold.." _No colder than a grave..where you'll probably BE soon...._ he thought. "Oh..one question..about..um..what you said before..about how you felt about me...". David turned to face her, nervously looking into her eyes, "I mean it..everyone else I've met so far means nothing compared to you...". Moving closer to her, he kissed her deeply. "I love you...and if I die I want you to get out of here alive no matter what the cost..." he said. The burst of static from the hallway echoed down the corridor, "Recon 4 to shadow knife...recon 4 to shadow knife...basement level is clear, I'm heading back up after checking the maintenance room...". The military style radio chatter immediately sent David for his weapon. _Shit..I should have known, I should have known...they left behind a detachment.... ._ The door began to shake slightly and then flew open, the laser sight of an mp5a2 submachine gun flashing into the room and blinding David for a second. "HOSTILES IN SIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!" yelled the cleaner troop, moving the fire selector to fully automatic and raising his gun quickly, but one second too late...

David's eyes adjusted to the sudden flash of light, and immediately he fired on the soldier, taking him down with two rounds, one hitting his neck. The gurgling, convulsing body lay still after a second, and David began to strip the corpse of its equipment, an mp5a2 with tactical light and laser sight, 2 clips, and a Kevlar tactical vest. Throwing the radio against the wall, he ignored the final transmission it echoed. "RECON 4...RECON 4!....damn..must have found himself a B.O.W..oh well, THIS IS SHADOW KNIFE COMMAND TO ALL TROOPS IN THE HOSPITAL SECTOR, PULL OUT, THE AREA IS SWEPT CLEAN..". The threat receded as suddenly as it had started...

Markenson sat calmly, half ignoring the psychobabble being spewed at him by the company shrink. _God why did I ask this idiot to help.... . _The psychiatrist dropped the file on David onto the desk. "What were dealing with here..in short..is just another extremely dedicated, completely neurotic, and utterly depressed individual with a martyr complex..this one slightly more than the others..maybe because of his previous experience with what we've done...and this attachment he's formed to that girl....and.." Markenson stood, cutting off the analyst. "Why do we pay you?" he said calmly. "Sir? I'm paid to help try to find the motives of potential threats...". Markenson glared at the timid doctor, who was cowering under his iron gaze, "No...we pay you to help....we do not pay you to mindlessly repeat FACTS THAT WOULD BE PAINFULLY OBVIOUS TO ANYONE WITH EVEN A SINGLE BRAIN CELL! GOD, DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT??!!!!! YOU'VE JUST TOLD ME THE SAME EXACT SHIT ABOUT EVERY ONE OF THEM! ACCORDING TO YOU THERE ALL "DEEPLY ANGRY PEOPLE", I COULD HAVE TOLD YOU THAT ALREADY...". The analyst adjusted her glasses, backing off a bit, "Sir...I'm seeing a lot of anger here....". Markenson aimed his .45 directly at the shrinks head "Yeah? And I'm seeing one very DEAD moron with a medical degree." he smirked, pulling the trigger and blasting the shrinks brains out. "Well..that relieved a lot of stress.." he said, smoking gun in hand, "Get the body out of here, burn it if you have to...". "YES SIR!" yelled a guard, dragging the corpse out into the hallway. "The world is now a lot better.." muttered Markenson, sinking back into his chair, able now to only wait....

Infinity-X

Alex looked over at David

"You okay?"

she asked in a soft voice .She was still a bit shocked by what had happen before that. And what he had said to her. David looked at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine...lets find the others or something."

he said. Alex nodded. David started looking around a little. He shivered for a second damn its cold he thought. Alex looked at him again. She closed her eyes. David walked towards the door. Alex slowly followed behind. David opened the door, a hunter jumped out at Alex.

"God dammit!"

yelled David, as he shot the hunter a few times and it went down. Alex looked at the dead hunter on the ground. Suddenly she remembered something. She remembered being in the sewers, meeting someone. Alex looked back at David, meeting David.... she thought. David spoke up.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

He stood by the door. He began to walk threw it. A smile formed on Alex's face.

"Wait! David!"

"What?"

David said fairly annoyed, he wanted to go and find the others, and get out of this place .Alex was still standing in the middle of the room.

"David, I remember you!...."

she yelled to him. He smiled at her yes! he thought to himself. He walked back out the door, and Alex followed. Moans of zombies were heard in the distance, but she didn't care. She felt good, she remembered David. She still couldn't remember the others names and could barely remember them. She knew that eventually she would though. David and Alex continued to walk down the hall.....

Claire Redfield

As they walked inside the hospital, Winsor wanted to beat the living shit out of something. The hospital was the very same hospital that they were in the day before. They had walked throughout the goddamn city and they were back to the very same place; the high school was only a few blocks away. As they got out of the truck they couldn't help the feeling that their hope just ran down the crapper.

John and Jarred carried Nathan inside the hospital with Vanessa at his side. Winsor trailed behind, her heart beating faster than she ever thought it could. She cared too much for Nathan and if he would die on her...it would prove her theory. People who care are the ones who get hurt.

She placed her hand on his as they carried and she saw him wink at her. She forced a smile, trying to conceal her fear.

"This room. Open the door," Jarred said and Vanessa quickly ran to the wooden door and turned the knob. The door opened, revealing a small office. A desk cluttered with cups, papers, pencils, and other crap; shelves over-filled with books and volumes on medical research and reports; all in all, a bunch of crap.

"Ok, let's put him on the desk," Jarred said now. He and John were slowly lowering Nathan to the desk. Nathan's eyes were closed, sleeping or unconscious.

Winsor leapt forward and pushed the papers and other shit off the desk. She had to try and do something, even to clear a desk for someone to lay down on.

They laid Nathan on his back. Nathan looked so peaceful, but she knew he was in pain. Everyone knew. The blood was enough to prove it.

"We have to stop the bleeding. Someone find bandages or something that can be used to stop the bleeding," John said.

Winsor took a quick look around the room. There was nothing in site. She heard drawers opening and closing and saw Jarred and John looking through the desk drawers.

"I got something," Vanessa said. She had a white bed cloth in her hand. She had left the room without anyone noticing her absence. She handed John the fabric and he started to rip it up.

"He's lost a lot of blood. Is there a way we can do a blood transfusion?" Winsor asked quietly. She can feel her heart starting to shudder in the silent fear.

"We can, but what's his blood type?" Jarred asked. His eyes turned to Winsor as if she would know.

Winsor shook her head angrily. "How the hell should I know. I-"

-A sound. Someone was walking in the hall. Their footsteps echoed with each step. Too quick for a zombie and too light for a monster; human. It could be a good sign to find someone else, but they were also being attacked by Piers men.

Jarred raised his weapon and slowly walked to the door. Everyone remained quiet and still. The only sound made was by the footsteps getting closer to the door. Jarred started to put his hand on the door knob when it started to turn by itself. Whoever was outside was coming in-

-The door opened and Jarred quickly pointed the gun toward the person's head. But suddenly he lowered the weapon.

"Jesus Christ!" said a familiar voice. "This is something that's really getting old!"

The door opened all the way and David walked in. He looked like hell, but then again everyone did about now.

"Good, you guys are here. Alex! It's safe," he yelled into the hall. Another pair of footsteps was heard in the hall.

David took a quick look around until his eyes fell on Nathan. "What happened to him?"

Jarred shook his head. "It's not important now. What we have to do is try to perform a blood transfusion except we have no clue what's his blood type."

Alex came in the room. She still looked the same, but she looked confused.

"Um...hi, I guess," she said. "I-David, I'm sorry. I don't remember anyone here."


	49. Friend And Foe Alike

Dr.William Birkin

Alex looked at the group nervously, until she felt David's arm across her shoulders. "Don't worry Alex, there friends..at least of yours..they probably don't care much for me.." he said, his vain attempt at humor failing miserably. "Anyway..as for introductions..." he gestured to the group with his Beretta, "That's John...the two lovebirds over there are Vanessa and Jarred...the presorted specimen on the table is..or..WAS..Nathan..I'm not sure which....and.." sighing, he jammed the pistol in Winsors direction, "That..is Samantha...or as she insists on being called...Winsor...it's best not to talk to her, unless you want your blood pressure to begin going upwards...". "Yes David, its an unbearable DELIGHT to see you as well.." smirked Winsor, turning back with concern to Nathan.

Alex walked forward, staring at Nathan, "He seems in pain..will he be okay?". Even now..when she doesn't know who she's looking at even,...all she can feel is compassion..._yeah..she's a real angel..and you are a scumbag David, keep that in mind..._ David sighed, shaking the thought off. "From the looks of it? All you can do is put off the inevitable....massive hemorrhaging...severe trauma...this is, for all intents and purposes...a breathing corpse.." David looked at the sea of stunned faces, unsure even himself where the medical jargon he had just spouted forth came from, _I guess when your fathers a medical examiner and your mothers a surgeon you begin to pick this shit up.... _, "Is something wrong???? You're looking at me like I've just killed a child or something.." David said. "No...we have to save him" Winsor spoke up, "I won't leave here without him..if he dies..I have to go with him..." she cursed herself for the outburst of emotions. "Ok, should I shoot you or do you want to? Because this is the end of the line Winsor...game over, I'm sorry" he replied. "Well isn't this surprising, when its Alex who needs help we've got to rush to help her, but when its Nathan we just walk off? Dave..you are a real RAT..you know that?" interjected Jarred, "I'm not going either..and I'm sure neither are Vanessa or John...". David glared at the group with a look of sudden indignation, "SO THAT'S IT HUH? STAY AND FIGHT A LOST CAUSE. HEY PEOPLE DIE..THAT'S THE PRICE SOMETIMES...FINE...STAY, AND PRETEND YOU CAN DO SOMETHING...in the end its all futile...." he said, walking to the door. "You can outrun everything else, but when it's time..it's time....death can't be escaped...all you can do is time the seconds it takes him to come...". David opened the door and walked out into the hallway, not wanting to be near anyone, _Friendship...love....emotional attachment..god..what is happening to me..I feel like I'm losing my mind.... _. Slumping in a chair, David pressed the cold metal of his Beretta against his head, his finger hovering over the trigger. "David? Are....DAVID! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!!!" Alex screamed, swatting the gun away from his head, "You scared me...look..I know...I know you must have a lot on your mind...I can't pretend to know what you've been through..but, look...as bad as it is, it'll be okay David...I don't want to lose you...I don't want to be alone again..." Alex hugged him tightly, tears forming in her eyes, the memories of the intense fear she had experienced all through that day stinging back into her mind. David calmingly stroked her head, "Don't worry Alexandra...as long as I'm alive nothing else will happen to you...I promise..I'll never leave you alone again....". Some were born knowing their purpose, some died never knowing theirs. David had just realized what his was..he may have been the guiltiest one among the group, but the crimes of his past only served to fuel his vengeful rage, he would make things right, even if he had to die trying...

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan awoke to see everyone staring at him. He winced in pain as the metal shard that was inside him, dug deeper into his waist.

"Nathan!" yelled Jarred. Sam looked away as she saw the blood start to pump out of him again.

"Jar....get...scalpel....morphine....Hemostat....staple gun....John find me....arrrgg!.....blood type....o+p-....don't ask...just look in the...fridge locker.....back room.....should....be....locked...cabinet. Shoot lock off. Bring here,.....hurry," Nathan breathed heavily as everyone took off looking for Nathan's items.

Sam walked over and risked a look down to Nathan. Seeing him sweating and wincing in pain made her turn away.

"Sam? Please. I need you to talk to me. Keep me awake," Nathan pleaded.

She couldn't take it anymore. She looked at Nathan and spoke, "Nathan I can't see you like this,...I...I'm sorry,...I'll be around." With that said she rushed from the room and disappeared.

Nathan's head slumped to the table as he closed his eyes. Quickly opening them again he realized if he was ever going to live he had to stay awake. He heard the door open. Looking over he saw Alex and David walking hand in hand back into the room.

"Look at him," whispered Alex as she stepped closer.

"David!" Nathan said through clenched teeth. "What bring....you here,...'Friend'!?" Nathan asked with obvious anger in him.

"Just here to see another soul die from all this evil that Markenson unleashed. You?" he answered.

"Just here to ge.....stitched up so.....I can kick your......ass. That's all," replied Nathan with a grin. Not an evil one but a friendly grin.

"Look Nath. I know you don't like me and you have good reason not to but things are different...."

"I know all.......~cough~....about it," said Nathan cutting him off.

"Blair has you....pinned for elimination, same as me.....Jarred and everyone else. So I'd say that......it's in.......your best interests to........help us,....wouldn't you? ~cough~" continued Nathan.

"Yeah maybe,...but you. Your zombie food my friend. For what it's worth I'm sorry," said David with a indifferent shrug.

"S'ok.....you forget who my....father was. Law's don't give up that easy. Besides....I promised myself I'd save a friend," replied Nath.

"Who? Winsor?" David said with slight shock.

"No. She knows I'll do anything for her. I'm talking about....Ryan. You remember him don't you? The guy who saved Alex's ass when she was almost a zombie! The man who risked it all for us to get through to the outside world! Piers has him and I'm going after Piers. Wanna bet Markenson's there with him? Wanna join the group....kill...some zombie's....save the world.....and get some revenge while we're at it?" asked Nathan obviously expecting David to laugh. Alex did but David just looked Nathan square in the face and extended his hand.

"Bargain struck Nath," he replied to Nathan's surprise. Nathan grabbed the younger man's hand and squeezed it tightly. The blood seeping through both their fingers from Nathan's wound.

"You screw us though David.....and you die first!" said Nathan as he tightened the grip. Seeing the discomfort in David's face he let go just as Jarred came into the room. David backed away as Alex started to draw him back anyways.

"David! I remember Ryan!" she said.

"Wha?...really? That's great! Keep trying to remember everyone!" he replied.

After a short while John, Nessa, and Jarred had collected everything Nathan asked for. Nathan took the morphine and injected it into the blood bag.

"Alright. Jarred. I need you to get everyone else outside. Just me and you will take care of this ok?" said Nathan. Jarred looked to protest, but when he saw the look on Nathan's face he understood. If Nathan was going to die, he didn't want anyone to see him. Jarred ushered everyone outside and closed the door behind himself but it was opened again as Sam stepped inside closing it behind herself.

"Nathan wants..." he started but Nathan told him it was ok.

Sam walked over to Nathan and stood beside him and lifted his hand, holding it tightly.

"You'll be fine Nath," she said with a smile.

"Alright Nath. What do you want me to do?" asked Jarred.

"First I need that piece of metal outta me," answered Nathan as he took in both the shocked expressions.

"You still have it in you?" Jarred almost yelled.

"Yeah now get the scalpel and cut it out. Sam? Take that pump and hook up the blood bag to it. Insert the Iv into my vein and then inject the morphine directly into the blood bag ok?" they both nodded and went about their tasks.

~1 hour later~

"Is he gonna be ok?" asked Nessa.

"He'll be fine. He's a quick healer," answered Jarred.

Sharing a quick look with Winsor she nodded and they opened the door to let everyone in to see Nathan.

(While Sam and himself were inside helping Nathan, he had passed out. Jarred discussed it with Sam and had both agreed to use Jarred's blood to help heal Nathan. Knowing it could kill him they had no choice he was going to die if they didn't try. After cutting the metal out, the bleeding that was dammed away started flowing freely and Jarred didn't know what to do. His blood had worked though. Nathan's wound had stopped bleeding and started healing quickly. (He wasn't like Jarred when it came to healing, but for the time he would heal a little faster.) thought Jarred as he stepped into the room. Vanessa grabbed his arm and gently looked him in the eye.

"Is everything ok?" she asked.

"Yeah. Everything's gonna be great," answered Jarred smiling.

As they stepped into the room Nathan was sitting on the table holding his ribs with one bandaged hand. his side was stitched and his cheek was sutured. He was dressed in his black vest but his shirt was ruined. So they took it off and tossed it. Sam was looking at him but when she noticed everyone else saw her staring, she looked away.

Nathan hopped off the table and reloaded his D.E.'s His fathers twin D.E.'s. Looking Jarred and the other straight in the eye's he spoke.

"I'm going to get Ryan and kill Piers. Ryan saved my ass and I intend on returning the favor. David's already agreed to come with me. The subway takes us to the mountains. From there you take the road out or you come to the factory to finish this. Whose coming?" Nathan asked looking as serious as ever! His green eyes flashing their intensity. He lit a smoke and waited for their answers.

Jill Valentine

Nathan sat calmly on the operation table; curls of smooth gray cigarette smoke swirling from his pale lips as he patiently waited for the others to decide on his suggestion.

"I think it's a good idea,"Jarred finally spoke, watching the others eye him with agreement.

"Yeah, I agree," Winsor added, smugly placing her hand on Nathan's.

"But," Vanessa began. "Where is he? How do we know where he is?"

Nathan hopped off the table, and extinguished his cigarette.

"I know exactly where Pier's hide out is," he explained, his eyes suspiciously darting over David. "It's up near the mountain Valley, we should take the subway there, it would be easier if you don't want them to spot us. But it's fairly easy to get there."

The others seemed convinced; but Nathan's suggestion that he drive wasn't too agreeable. They all knew he was still rather weak, and needed a couple of hours to fully recover from his injuries, despite the fact that his natural healing time would be doubled due to the injection of Jarred's blood.

"Well how about I drive this time?" Winsor suggested, watching the John squirm in fear."You've had your fun John, now it's my turn."

John looked very hesitant at the idea that "Winsor" would drive, but the others seemed to like it.

"Okay it's done then," Jarred concluded, as he headed towards the door that exited into the hospital hall. "Winsor shall drive, and we shall all kick Piers ass."

Nathan couldn't help but smile, and watch the others bear the same hope and victory as he did.

"Let's kick some Pier ass!"

------------------------------------------

Several golden rays peeked over the horizon; shedding warmth and light onto the Gaines City landscape. It hadn't managed to loose it's beauty; for the plush green meadows and ever-green trees that lined the side of the highway emphasized the natural beauty that had always existed in Gaines. The sky was blue and clear, and there was not a moment before them that could disturb the peacefulness and tranquility that had settled around them...

The engine of the jeep zoomed on as Winsor kept a steady eye on the road. Silence filled the back seats of the Jeep as they had begun their short trip to the hide-out; interrupted by casual snickers from Nathan as he flicked through the radio stations.

"Damn there is nothing...no music no nothing..." he sighed, flicking off the dusty old radio that was thickly wedged in the front of the jeep.

"Maybe that's because there is no one alive to play it..." Winsor muttered.

Nathan smiled at the thought; even though it wasn't a good time or place; but the thought of seeing a zombie be a DJ?

__

Hahaha...

The jeep slowly pulled up into darkness, the cemented opening of the subway narrowing down into a deep hole as they traveled further and further into it. Winsor flicked on the headlights, wincing as the bright beams flickered on through the dark road that ran through the tunnel.

"What's that?" John suddenly yelped as Winsor slammed on the breaks.

"Who the hell is that?!"

They all sat nervously, staring on at the dark figure that stood in the center of the road, slowly walking towards the jeep...

City of the Dead

The darkness had made it extremely difficult to see who was walking towards them, all they knew was that their calls got no response. Then all of a sudden, it made its way into the high beams and it became clear who was standing before them.

"Oh Shit," Vanessa said staring at the figure in the high-beams.

Standing in front of the jeep was a wall of charred and mangled flesh. Its body looked like as if someone took a heap of spoiled meat and sewed it together. A huge chunk of pulsating tentacles stuck out from the left side of it's body with about four black bones protruding, coming together to form what looked like a claw. Several teeth were knocked from its exposed gums, and even though they were hideously malformed, it's facial features gave off an obvious clue as to what they were facing.

"Oh my god, it isn't dead," Nathan exclaimed. He thought he slaughtered the Nemesis back at City hall, somehow, it had survived and made its way down into the subway tunnels.

It stood there, unmoving. It seemed as if the monster was taunting them, standing motionless in the high-beams, almost daring them to make the first move. Then with a distorted scratchy roar, it drew back it's mutated left arm and everyone immediately hopped out of the jeep. Winsor barely made it out of the passenger side as a tentacle slammed down hard on the roof, crushing it down into the seats.

"Get back everyone" Jarred yelled, everyone jumped back, pulling out their firearms.

The clamor of bending metal and breaking glass were automatically drowned out as everyone opened fire on the Nemesis. The shots enraged the beast and it targeted Jarred. Jarred felt an unbelievable wave of fear rush over him as the Nemesis charged towards him, his mind raced as he continued to fire, and in an instant case of deja vu, he traveled back to early sixth grade when Henry Cole, the meanest asshole in school, charged him while they were in P.E. class, they had gotten into one of those senseless schoolyard fights that didn't really mean anything. Even though he was badly beaten, he thought he got in a few good hits, but this was a completely different situation, the thing charging towards him wasn't a schoolyard bully, it was a fucking monster that was hell-bent on everyone's demise.

Jarred jumped up against the side of the subway wall as the creature's claw rushed past his head. He dived past the Nemesis and ran towards the others, narrowly avoiding a certain demise.

"I don't think anything we do is going to stop it," Nathan yelled.

Vanessa continued her assault, when the sight of the demolished car caught her eye, she saw a bunch of spilled gas under the vehicle.

"I've got an idea," She yelled, running towards the wrecked car.

"What are you doing?" Nathan yelled.

Vanessa jumped up on the back of the wrecked jeep and let out a vicious onslaught of blazing gunfire. It was enough to grab the attention of the out of control monster. It turned and sped over towards her, she desperately hoped her plan would work, and that she or anyone else wouldn't be hurt by it. When the beast was close enough. she took a deep breath and leapt off the jeep and took one step onto the creature's shoulder and then hopped off into the air. She turned around and started firing wildly at the gas tank of the car, and then, a thunderous wave of sound, heat, and flame erupted from within the tunnel. Her plan had worked, and then she hit the ground, the vibrations jarring her teeth.

"Holy fuck," John yelled. When the explosion occurred, the last thing he saw before he ducked was the Nemesis being knocked against the wall and falling over in the blaze.

The tunnel was now silent and filled with an orange glow from the flames.

"You did it" Jarred yelled running over to Vanessa and scooping her off the ground.

After a brief celebration, Nathan stepped up and got everyone's attention.

"Okay, since our car is destroyed, we'll follow this tunnel until we're led to the subway train," Nathan spoke up, waiting for everyone to agree with him.

"Heat up Fire boy," John yelled to Nathan.

Winsor gazed back at the flaming wreckage. Proceeding forward wasn't really a choice, taking the tunnel was the only real thing they could do, the way they came in was blocked.

__

Because Vanessa the Amazon torched the place, damn, she was like a regular Stallone.

"Do you think that monster is dead now?" Alex asked.

"I doubt it," Nathan responded.

"Dead or not, I have to say that was quite impressive Vanessa," David said, complimenting her on her heroics.

"Well, at least that'll buy us some time, if it is still alive, its not going to be down for long, so we have to hurry," Nathan said.

With his words, everyone picked up their pace. They didn't want to be anywhere around if that thing woke up.

Ryan was curled up in the corner of his cell. His mind had become so swirled that it was impossible to keep a straight thought. The note that was on the door was strange enough, who else knew he was here? And if no one, then who is the inside man? So many questions, but at the rate things were going, it looks like they weren't going to be answered. He started thinking about the other survivors.

__

Did they make it out? Are they still there? Do they even care that I'm gone?

He didn't really want them to come and rescue him, he was beyond hope, and the last thing he wanted to do, was get them killed.

__

Seems that's all I'm good at.

Before the pessimistic and depressing thoughts invaded his mind completely, the door's loud rusty squeak made it apparent to Ryan that someone was coming in.

"Ryan?" A deep, un-familiar voice called.

"What?" Ryan asked.

"Hey, I'm here to get you out of here," The voice called.

"Who are you?" Ryan asked. The room suddenly became illuminated from the flickering over-head light.

"My name is Luke Baird, part of the Isis recovery team, Keel told me you'd be here," The man called.

In the light, Ryan got a good look at him. He looked about twenty-five, short dirty blonde hair and a face that looked like it hadn't been shaved for about four days.

"Now, I can only get you so far, you'll have to get out of here on your own," Baird said.

"Fuck that, I'm settling things with that bastard Piers," Ryan stood up.

"That may not be such a good id-." Baird was interrupted

"I don't care, I have nothing now, that psycho took my whole life away, and now I'm going to do the same for him," Ryan growled.

"Well...I wouldn't recommend it, but I'll see what I can do, let's just get going", Baird said. "There won't be any resistance, because this whole factory is practically empty, except for Markenson, Piers, and about four guards...No one knows I'm here, so I have to be careful as well," Baird said.

"Just get me to a place where I can get some weapons, then I'll be set," Ryan said.

"Alright, follow me," Baird replied.

Ryan followed him out into the hall. It looked as if it wasn't cleaned or renovated for years. A rust clung to the metal walls and a dusty odor filled the room. He was so relieved to leave the cell, which had become a metaphor for his mind, dark and hopeless. But now, he had a new reason to live, revenge...

Keel stood in the main courtyard in front of the Coleman Hill Clock Tower with about a hundred other soldiers, all lined up for the evacuation. Some were a little nervous, some were very eager to leave. He heard four of them sharing stories about their "victories" in the city, meaning all the innocent survivors they slaughtered. It was all Keel could do to control his anger, he didn't even want to be associated with these animals, but now wasn't the time, he had a plan...along with a few well placed explosives.

The wait was tedious, they had been standing there for what felt like hours, and no progress was being made.

Probably organizing the soldiers, getting names and the like, to see which ones were unlucky enough not to die out in the city.

A smile spread across Keel's face, he had it all planned out, he was going to set off the master charges when everyone began boarding the choppers, he would slip out through the moving crowd, and detonate the explosives when he was about a couple of blocks away, completely obliterating the clock tower and all of Blair's cleaners.

ROOOOAAARRRRR

"What the hell?" Keel yelled.

In an instant all the guards started scattering, a multitude of men running in opposite directions as a blaze of gunfire and screams rang out. He saw the reason why they were all panicking.

"Good god, how many of those things are there?"

Two saurs (what he has come to call the dinosaur creatures) started rampaging through the crowd of soldiers, they were un-like the one he had taken out earlier, these two were almost jet-black.

He was nearly knocked down by the fleeing troops. Keel watched the saurs attack everyone, he was beginning to think they were actually a blessing in disguise. The whole courtyard was chaotic, everyone ran past the name-taking officials and hopped aboard the waiting helicopters, while some stupidly fought against the beasts, they ultimately met a brutal and bloody death. With the unexpected guests making an appearance, Keel felt that he would have to execute his plan a little more prematurely. He pulled out the detonator and looked towards the panicked cleaners who were rushing the helicopters, he should have just gotten out of there, but he wanted to see their fear, wanted them to feel what those innocent people felt before they were killed in cold blood...It was a mistake on his part.

Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed through him and he was being lifted through the air, he had made the mistake of turning his back on the saurs behind him. He felt the jagged teeth penetrate his skin and he screamed in pain. The creature shook him violently as he pulled out his rifle and fired towards it's eye. It yelled in pain and Keel felt himself falling, he hit the ground hard and a sharp pain went through his whole body. His legs were definitely broken, and the puncture wounds up and down his body were unbearable. There was only one thing left to do.

Keel painfully raised his hand, which still tightly clutched the detonator. He knew that he would be killed in the blast, but he wasn't going to make it anyways, it was now or never.

"This is for all the citizens of Gaines...and the only survivors left in the city, good luck guys, sorry I couldn't have provided any more help," Keel said out loud.

With his final words, he brought his broken fingers up to the switch, and pushed it...

"WHAT THE HELL?" Piers yelled as he watched over the city from the catwalks that wrapped around the factory silos.

A huge cloud of fire and smoke erupted from where Coleman Hill Clock Tower once stood. The helicopters, the soldiers, everything had gone up in flames. He thought he had heard gunfire coming from that area, but he wasn't sure.

__

Was this one of Blair's orders? Did they really want their army terminated? No, because then they wouldn't have wasted the helicopters, something is up...

Piers started wondering if those damn kids had anything to do with it. It didn't really matter anyways, he would have them soon enough. He couldn't wait to show them his new powers from the augmentation, but he wouldn't kill them, he was just the opening act, the main event was going to be so much better. He started thinking about Judgment, it was the new name he had given the B. O. W. At first he didn't know if it could have been salvaged.

"Yes Nathan, you did some damage to him, but this time, you won't be so lucky, I've started giving Judgment a few new improvements," Piers laughed.

He knew that his words were nothing more than symbolism, but he was far too excited. He couldn't wait to throw Nathan on the offering plate, it would make quite a sacrifice. Nathan might have been victorious earlier, but soon Piers would witness the epic battle between father and son...


	50. Wanted Sleep

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan took the point with David, Alex and Sam right behind him. Followed by Vanessa and John, with Jarred picking up the rear. With the constant flickering of the lights from the damage the explosion did, Nathan wasn't sure if the shadow's were creatures or just shadow's. Every step they took echoed like an army marching. The silence was more from fear that they would lead Nemesis to them rather then lack of topics. Nathan paused and lifted his hand signaling everyone to stop. He jogged a few meters ahead and checked out the tunnel. David turned to Alex and broke the silence.

"Have you remembered anything else yet?"

"No...it's all kinda fuzzy. I remember some things but the rest seems like I just dreamt it up or something." she replied.

John took the opportunity to sit down and rest for a bit. He was tired as hell and gettin' pissy from all the walking.

"So do you think we're gonna make it?" Vanessa whispered her question to Jarred.

"Sure we are. We've made it this far haven't we?" said Jarred encouragingly.

Sam started walking towards Nathan's direction. Lifting her weapon slightly and seeming to listen to every sound.

"Hey! Sam! Where ya going? Don't you think Nathan can handle himself?" asked John with a chuckle.

"Oh I know he can handle himself John,...unlike you." she answered with a sneer.

"Oh my god! She made a funny. Stop it I can't take it the inner laughter is killin' me." replied John in retort.

"John, your such an fucking loser sometimes you know that? There's assholes and then there's Fucking asshole's! Guess which you are? Moron." Sam spat back.

"I'm rubber, your glue. Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you! Ha! I haven't used that one in ages!" answered John.

"I'd love to continue this battle of wits with you John, but your obviously unarmed!" answered Sam with a chuckle.

John answered with a glare as David burst out laughing. Sam new that he didn't expect that one and it bugged him that he couldn't think of anything else, so the glare was his best defense. Jarred spoke up as David's laughter died.

"What the hell is taking him so long?" he muttered as suddenly the sound of gunfire echoed through the tunnel. Sam was running before the rest, but they were all right behind her. Taking the turn she saw a few dead zombies and some piled cars. Nathan was no-where to be seen. John looked over and saw Nathan's rifle laying on the ground.

"NATHAN!" shouted Jarred as the others fanned out.

Their voices echoed throughout the tunnel as they searched for him.

Alex heard him first. A weak reply from Nathan rang out in the tunnel. David reached him first and started to help him up. It appeared that something had knocked him down.

"What the hell happened man?" asked John first as Sam stepped close to him, helping to support his weight as he was in obvious pain.

"You really don't want to know." he replied.

"OF course we do! Are you ok?" asked Sam.

"My pride is hurt, but I'm fine." he answered.

"I was walking ahead and thought I saw a hunter behind the car. So I figured I'd get the drop on it. I unslung my rifle and decided to use my D.E.'s but when I came around the car, I slipped and fell. Go ahead laugh it up." he answered as he rolled his eyes at himself and shook his head.

David and Alex both started laughing along with John. Jarred and Nessa both started shaking their heads at his misfortune but Sam looked worried.

"Nath! You're bleeding!" she said.

He looked down and saw that his stitches had popped and the wound had re-opened, but not as bad as before.

"I'm alright." he replied as he held a clamped hand over the wound.

John handed him back his rifle and they started out again.

---------------------------------------------------

Ryan was lead through the factory by Luke. After a brief walk they retrieved Ryan's weapons and started for the nearest exit.

"I'm not going with you." he said flatly.

"You should really get out of here Ryan. Your too young to be playing hero to the world ya know." answered Luke.

"Yeah? Maybe, but I can still make my own decisions and as long as I can, I'm going after Piers." he replied.

"Alright. Good luck to you. I hope th..." Luke was cut off by the crack of a pistol and the bullet that followed as it tore into his head. Ryan ducked and retreated around a corner.

"Come on kid! Give up or you'll only make it harder on yourself!" yelled a voice.

"I have an idea! How about you give up and I'll take it easy on you!" answered Ryan.

He was answered by a hail of bullets and some chips of concrete as the bullets riddled the wall beside him. Taking off he ducked around another corner and waited for them to come into view.

---------------------------------------------------

As they reached the exit they saw that the sun was setting fast and they still had a little ways to go before they reached the factory. Jarred decided that they should try to get some sleep for a bit before heading out again and everyone except Nathan agreed, but after seeing how tired everyone was he nodded and started looking for some shelter.

David and Alex found an old van and decided that they'd catch some sleep their. Jarred, John, and Nessa saw an R.V. and broke climbed in very relived to find some real bedding. Sam walked over to Nathan who was sitting on the hood of a car having a smoke as he watched the darkness grow.

"You ok?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh sorry. Yeah I'm alright. Just worried about Ryan that's all. He's like a younger brother kinda." he replied startled.

"I may not know you well Nathan, but I do know when people are lying to me." Sam said.

With a small laugh, Nathan answered, "Sorry. I'm just not used to people asking me that question. I'm just worried about where we all go after this is done. I've never been so alone before. I always had my dad ya know. Now I've got no-one," he sighed.

"You have me," she said cheerfully.

Nathan turned and looked at her carefully. He seemed to be peering intimately into her very soul she thought. When he spoke, his words melted her defenses a little more.

"I don't ever wanna lose you Sam. You're all I have now and losing that scares me more then anything. I'm not getting mushy or emotional ok? I just wanted you to know that incase something happens."

Sam pulled him to her and hugged him tightly. She felt his warm hands come around and return the embrace. She whispered softly to him.

__

"Your not going to lose me. I'm not an open person and you know that. I have trouble talking about my feeling let alone showing them. I've never felt this way about anyone before Nathan and I swear I never intended too, but I do and I can live with it. Don't talk about something happening ok? We'll get Ryan and get out of here. Then it'll be just you and me after. I'm sorry if I act like a bitch but that's who I am, if you can live with that then I'd like to see where this can go."

Nathan looked up into her eyes and smiled. For the first time since his father died, he felt like there was a reason to live. He knew that she hated this kind of talk and silently thanked her for being open with him. He cared deeply for her and needed to know she felt the same.

"Sam I love you for who you are. Don't ever change ok? I can live with it if you can. If I can't kiss you in front of the others I'll wait! I don't care! As long as I'm with you I'm happy. Nothing else matters." he replied.

Silently they stared out into the night. Both thinking about what was said and what it meant to them both. Sam fell asleep after a short time and Nathan gently carried her to the R.V. making a bed out of pillows as he returned to the car outside and continued staring into the darkness. After a while he found himself singing quietly to himself. A song he listened to a lot.

__

I've never seem you lookin' so gorgeous as you did tonight....I've never seen you shine so bright...you were amazin'....I've never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance....lookin' for a little romance...given haaaaaalf a chance. I have never seen that dress your wearin' ...or the highlights in your hair that catch your eye's...I have been blind..the lady in reeeed...is dancing with me...cheek to cheek...there no-body here....it's just you and me. That's where I wanna be. And I hardly knowwww...this beauty be my siiiide. I'll never forget...the way you look tonight. I've never seen so many people wanna be there by your side...and then you turned to me and smiled...it took my breath away. I have never had such a feelin'...such a feeling of complete and utter love....as I do tonight....the lady and reeeed. Is dancing with me...cheek to cheek. There's no-body here....it's just you and me...that's where I wanna be....... slowly Nathan drifted off to sleep. His last thoughts of the woman who would break his heart, or make his life complete. Either way all he wanted was for her to be safe.

Claire Redfield

Winsor was sleeping peacefully by Nathan until she heard someone talking. She slowly opened her eyes and realized that the background was different.

__

No, no I'm in a car or something.

She realized that Nathan must have moved her while she was asleep. She looked around and seen Jarred and Vanessa sleeping next to each other by one of the walls. Winsor was laying on the floor.

They looked so peaceful, yet Vanessa slowly moved her head side to side. She appeared to be dreaming. Vanessa let out a small whimper-like sound and Winsor laid her head back down on a pillow.

She couldn't stop thinking about it. She was actually softening up and even told someone her true feelings. It was strange. She never even thought about considering to probably be with someone. She was always abandoned or she just refused, but Nathan had changed all that. He cared for her. He even wanted her to be with him and though she wasn't sure to admit it, but she would probably want too.

Vanessa let out another whimper and Jarred put his arm around her. She went quiet again. Winsor had to hold back laughter.

__

Oh...how pitiful...

But she even knew that if it was Nathan and herself in Jarred and Vanessa's place, he would have done the same.

Winsor looked around alarmed and wanting to kick herself mentally in the ass. Where was Nathan? She sat up in a sitting position and out of a window saw him. He was sitting on the hood of a car. He wasn't moving maybe awake or asleep.

Vanessa let out another whimper and Winsor couldn't take it anymore. She picked up the pillow and threw it at Vanessa's head. Vanessa woke up alarmed and looking around madly at what hit her.

"I can't believe that he can stand being next to you when you are sleeping," Winsor whispered and walked out of the car(which she noticed was a van). She quietly walked up to Nathan.

He was asleep. His breathing slow and peaceful. She looked at his wound which had stopped bleeding.

She just acted without thinking. She got up onto the hood of the car, feeling a small stretch of pain coming from her back. She should have looked for a painkiller when they were at the hospital.

She suddenly remembered leaving the room when he had asked her to talk to him. She had never felt so much afraid in her life and she just left him. She just left the person-

__

-who I love.

Winsor put her arms around Nathan's chest and nuzzled her head on his shoulder. He didn't stir once. It was a little cold, but she knew that after leaving Nathan in the hospital room this is what she deserved.

She slowly closed her eyes and welcomed the darkness as she had always did when she fell asleep.

Piers looked at the files in his hand. They were the ones he had been asking for and after nearly killing a man in a chokehold, he had received them.

__

David the traitor and Alex..They escaped. Ryan is here. Nathan escaped, but he won't survive the family reunion. Let's see...

He continued to read. There was a John, a Sam, a Jarred, and a Vanessa. He wasn't sure, but he thought that he had already made acquaintances with some of them. Did he? Ever since the spill it seemed that days and people were starting to blur together.

He scowled and placed the files down. They weren't enough information. These children were surviving somehow and somewhere right now-

-the door of his office opened and a shaky nervous man entered. He was short and skinny as hell; _what an excellent person to yell at and see him shit his pants._

"Mr. Piers..I, uh, have the rest of the files that you requested," he said, trying not to stutter. "And I found something and I have a question-"

"Sir," the intercom spat. "Ryan Bartlett has escaped from his cell. We-"

Piers growled and slammed his hand onto the intercom on his desk. The intercom cracked and static was only heard.

__

They're children! Why can't we hold one in a cell?! ONE!

Piers lost it and before he knew it he was choking the skinny employee with one hand.

"I am going to finish this. Tell the scientist to ready the Tyrant for a second time and tell them to add something new to it. Something unpredictable, yet known. Something old, yet new," Piers spat.

The skinny man looked confused and terrified at him. "Y-y-yess sir!"

Piers let his grip go on the man and snatched the file from his hand. He mentally counted to ten. He was starting to lose it. He was tired of losing as well. He looked back at the man who was already at the door. "You said there was something else?"

The man stopped and turned around. "I recognized two names on the files. David-"

"I KNOW!" Piers shouted.

"-and a Samantha Winsor. Although I don't know her or the first name, but wasn't there a couple who worked here about fifteen or something like that years ago. Married and their last name was Winsor. I don't know."

Piers held his breath for a moment trying to remember and then glared back at the man. "Tell the scientist what I want."

The man quickly left and Piers dropped the files on his desk. He was tired. He sat in his chair again and slowly smiled to himself. He was going to kill the children and those who interfere. He was going to torture them and laugh at their screams. He would experiment on them, making them horrific and murderous machines...

But now, he had to sleep.

Dr.William Birkin

David sat in the van, wide awake, staring out a window. On the seat next to him, resting against his arm somewhat, was Alexandra, sleeping peacefully. _Sleep...yet another habit I guess I'm breaking...._ thought David, despondently reflecting on the situation he was in. The calm, still night, only amplifying the sound of Alex's quiet breathing was a perverse joke to him, a big reminder of what was going on. "Dear god why can't I just die...Alex doesn't deserve someone as horrible as me..." he said to himself, noticing a quiet muttering from the unconscious form next to him. "Mm...huh? David?" Alex sat up yawning "What time is it....David? Are you feeling ok?" she said, noting his emotionless stare. "Huh? Oh..yeah..I was just thinking about how this is both the happiest night of my life and the worst...if only I'd known you before this all started...." he replied, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. "Well..I'm here now..isn't that enough?" Alex said, hugging him gently. David sat motionless, the still night calming him slightly, "Yes...but we don't even know how much longer well both be alive....hell...if we do get out of here..who's to say they won't just find us all and kill us?". Alex nervously bit her lip, trying not to share his concern, "Well...I'm sure if they did...that you'd find some way to deal with it....you've made it this far right? And I'm not worried about myself..you don't seem to be willing to let any harm come to me...I..I love you David..." she said, kissing him gently.

The calm, silent night was very different inside the secondary control center of the factory, phones rang, analysts walked about checking statistics and reconnaissance reports, and in a side office, one man planned the fate of the town itself. "God...this just gets worse.." Markenson growled, leaning back in his chair, his bloodshot eyes staring at the ceiling. "No reports on target status...they can't just die already...". Extinguishing his cigarette, he stood up and stared out of the window at the nearby forest. _I should have seen it all coming...the minute the human efficiency augmentation project went into his control...the minute Piers became head researcher...god....why didn't I see.....why didn't any of us see....._ "Brian...I have a question....why, haven't your finest black ops managed to capture children yet?" Piers' voice echoed into the office. "Because we underestimated all of them.. " replied Markenson "THE SITUATION IS STILL SALVAGEABLE....we still have judgment...". Markenson turned, a look of horror filling his eyes as he saw the look on Piers' face, "NO...WE ARE NOT UNLEASHING THAT MONSTROSITY ON THE WORLD...didn't you learn? The augmentation project..the suppression of the results of YOUR experiments..hell..EVEN THOSE LIZARD THINGS...all because of your mad obsession with power....I am still director of security, my job is to eliminate any possible threats to the security of our work, and YOU...doctor...are getting to the top of the list of threats...". Piers glared at Markenson, and yelled to the control room outside "PREPARE THE PROTOTYPE....we will do this again....." he said, hoping his second creation would fare better than his first...

Jill Valentine

The silent dwell of cicada's set a peaceful rhythmic beat for that early morning. Although it was still quite dark, Vanessa could tell it was morning. Because Winsor had thrown a pillow at Vanessa's head, Vanessa couldn't get back to sleep.

__

Damn bitch. I can't help making sounds in my sleep.

Vanessa sighed, getting up from her comfortable sleeping position, watching Jarred lay peacefully beside her. His breathing was so peaceful, and she was glad that, through such a nightmare, he was able to sleep; undisturbed.

__

Unlike me...

Vanessa slowly slid out of the Van, noticing Winsor and Nathan on the rooftop of the car, asleep, happy..

"How cute.." she muttered to herself. "I wish she wouldn't rag on me so much though. Maybe when I died in that room back there, I should of stayed dead."

Rolling her eyes, Vanessa peered out of the tunnel exit, the gentle rays of sunlight warming her face as they inched over the horizon. The misty hills that surrounded the town in a distance looked absolutely beautiful as the sun shone over them.

"I would really like to pain that." Vanessa muttered to herself, smiling at the thought. It would bring back memories, when she used to sneak out of the house early in the morning, before school, and paint the sunset over the hills. It may of sounded a little pathetic to others, but she enjoyed being alone in such an array of beauty and tranquility.

A harsh rustle came from the bushes. Vanessa looked over, as the sound had disturbed her thoughts, wondering what it was.

"Hello? Who's there?" she asked slowly walking towards the bush.

__

As if they will answer me...duh...

"Screw it."

Ignoring the irritating sounds coming from the bushes, Vanessa turned and walked back to the van.

Before she could respond, a hand had grasped around her mouth, leaving her unable to cry for help. Another had pulled around her waist, pulling her back into the bushes. No matter how hard she kicked, punched and screamed, no one could hear her. No one.

Joker

The chips of concrete scattered across the floor at Ryan's feet. With all the small arms fire volleying toward his position, he couldn't get a single shot off to ward them back. Looking around, Ryan spotted another door. As the staccato rhythm of firing pin meeting bullet echoed loudly through the outside corridor, Ryan made a break for the door, hoping his footsteps would be masked by the shots.

As Ryan burst through the door, he flattened against the wall just beside it, Beretta high. As he clutched the 9mm handgun, he caught himself thinking... "I should have taken that assault rifle". The armory was almost completely empty. Not a rifle, flak jacket or submachine gun in sight. All he had found was his pistol and a few more clips than when he'd started. All in all, when confronting a heavily armed force, not the sort of thing you'd wish for, but better than nothing. Besides, firepower hadn't done that Baird guy any good. In fact, it had just contributed to the already morbid visuals of the complex by adding a "brain-matter gray" finish to one of the walls.

With all the mishagos of dodging bullets, Ryan hadn't even looked around at the room he entered.

It was a macabre freak show. Strange distortions of nature lining the walls in what looked like some sort of suspended animation. Creatures that appeared to be inside out, creatures that appeared to be almost human, yet impossibly tall with large menacing claws. Ryan used all his willpower to stop himself from screaming and, thusly, revealing his location. But that wasn't all.

The only visible exit was the way he came.

Ryan couldn't help but hear every possible expletive known to man erupt in his mind. He'd just gotten himself into a room with no exit.

As Ryan frantically attempted to formulate a plan, he could hear the footsteps of at least 4 people.

They had found him. Now it was only a matter of time before he was discovered.

Looking around the room, he saw a console with some buttons. In desperation, Ryan quickly hit a button and dived into the shadows, not daring to move lest one of the troopers spotted him.

The Blair troops came in almost soundlessly, alternating directions and setting up arcs of fire within the room. Not a word uttered by any of them, but a series of hand signals was made.

One of the troopers made a "snapping-fingers" motion followed by a spread hand pointing roughly in his direction. From seeing how the Gaines PD SWAT operated, Ryan knew what that meant.

They had found him.

He waited for the inevitable to come when suddenly, the sound of something opening was heard.

That sound was immediately followed by the scream of one of the Blair soldiers and the tearing of muscle and sinew.

The room once again erupted in a stroboscopic flash of lights and sound as the hollow thud of the soldiers' M4's reverberated around the room with an almost deafening roar. The only thing that could be heard over it was the roar of the creature slowly but surely dismembering every last one of them.

As Ryan watched from his hiding place, he couldn't help but realize how short-sighted he had been. So it ripped up the soldiers. Great. But he was more lightly armed, had less training (not that their training was apparent in this incident) and was losing his mind. Three distinct disadvantages these soldiers did not have and they were eviscerated.

However, one thought entered Ryan's mind.

"Going ballistic is not always a bad thing..."


	51. Return To The Nightmare

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan awoke not knowing what time it was but feeling something different. He looked down and saw Sam's head nuzzled into his chest. He gently lifted her off him and picked her up and carried her to a nearby truck. Laying her down gently she started to twitch but quickly fell fast asleep again. After a brief search he found some blankets after picking the lock on a car and searching the trunk. He laid the blankets in the flatbed of the truck and placed Sam gently on top of them. Crawling in next to her he felt her stir at the feel of him laying next to her. She rolled over still asleep and wrapped her arm around his waist. Nathan slipped his arm under her head as gently as he could, and rested it against his chest. She felt warm to him. Carefully he lifted the blanket over them both and closed his eyes. Dreaming almost instantly of everything he'd been through and everything he ever wanted. Sam was in every though. He soon drifted off into a deep sleep,....not caring if he ever woke up because he knew she was there.

Dr.William Birkin

Darkness slipped over David, his tormented dreams pulling him back into the void, back to remind him of his sins and of the evil the town had been immersed in.

__

He was awake again, staring at the blood covered wall of his room. Screams and moans coming from down the hallway, following them to the source, he saw a scene of horror. Bodies lay strewn about, limbs and organs nailed to walls, somewhere further into the darkness of the nightmare labyrinth his mind had placed him in was an illuminated surgical table, a laughing butcher standing at its head. Pacing forward, he began recognizing corpses, Alex, Winsor, Jarred, Nathan, Vanessa, his parents, everyone he had known before and during the incident lay sprawled and mangled on the floor of the corridor. Taunting him, reminding him of the carnage flooding in on him. Closing in on the table, the laughter grew louder, the cackling voice echoing from the walls of the massive room. The butcher turned, a man in a lab coat, instantly recognizable, stood facing him. Piers, or rather, the twisted nightmare Piers, waved a butcher knife at David, blood covering his lab coat and arms. His eyes burning with all the fires of hell. The laughter grew louder, louder by the second, a chorus of moans joining them, followed by the alarm sirens that had heralded the emergency state Gaines was under just as the outbreak went critical. The crescendo of noise, gunshots, wails, screams poured from the shadow haunted confines of the hellish dream, blood flowing across the floor, pooling up to David's ankles, the smell of exploded gunpowder and decaying flesh filling his nostrils, choking him.

Darkness again, and then his eyes shot open. The sun was rising slowly over the burning, ruined town, next to him, Alexandra muttered incoherently, still peacefully sleeping. David grimly stared out at the torched necropolis, swearing Alex would make it out of this place unharmed, even if he had to make the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that. He had awoken from one nightmare, right back into another...

Piers was ecstatic, gazing through the bulletproofed glass observation window as the procedures to activate the new B.O.W commenced. "Yes....this is the brilliance...this is the artistry none of them understand..." he said, grinning mindlessly at the illuminated form in its incubation tank. "This is not art, it is a mistake Piers...", Markenson walked forward, into the dimly lit control room, "You need to stop this..granted, you are a genius...NO ONE is disputing that okay? But you need to look at the consequences...you'll only destroy yourself this way" he continued, lighting yet another cigarette. "What would you know..you've been critical of this entire operation since its start...", Piers began to develop a psychotically protective tone of voice, "You'll see....ALL OF YOU WILL SEE....I'll kill every one of them...this security breach is effectively over....". Markenson sighed, sitting at one of the control panels, calmly staring into the screen, no longer caring how this ended. "If you want to die here, I wont stop you...I will simply revert to plan b...evacuation of all key personnel, and all secondary personnel..all I will say in my report is you were killed in an accident...they won't ever even ask about it...". Piers turned, glaring with cold, reddish eyes. "YOU IDIOT! YOU'LL JUST REMAIN A PUPPET FOR THE HEAD OFFICE..THE MILITARY IS JUST USING YOU...AM I THE ONLY PERSON HERE WHO SEES THAT!!!!!" Piers suddenly stopped, clutching at his chest as if suffering a heart attack, crying out in agony. Markenson stared at the convulsing researcher, "Side effects kicking in?". The augmentation project had been scrapped partly due to its secondary effects, enhancing the body beyond its physical limits, causing intense pain, and in 70% of the test subjects, death within 24 hours of its activation. Piers slumped to the floor, gasping for air "It will pass..it always does....SHOULDN'T YOU BE PREPARING OUR DEFENSES OR SOMETHING?! They'll be along soon enough...walking right into their death...". Markenson turned and left the room, wondering who would die first, the survivors, or Piers...

Dante

Dwayne had forgot just how long he had been running for but he didn't care how long he had to run as long as those...things where after him.

__

What the hell are they, I shoot them, I kick them I've tried everything but they jus keep coming

Dwayne turned around quickly to see if the horde of Zombies had gone and to his relief, they had.

While still running Dwayne closed his eyes and gave a sigh of relief.

__

Finally.

But suddenly Dwayne felt his right foot hit some thing and he fell forward face first into a puddle of mud.

__

Great just what I need.

Dwayne pulled himself up and wiped the mud of his face but to his horror it was not mud at all, it was blood.

Dwayne's jaw fell open at the sight and he flicked the blood of his hand as hard as he could before wiping his face with his sleeve.

He looked back down at the ground at saw a sight that would make a normal persons teeth peel.

A battered and torn corpse lay on the ground, huge teeth marks and tears in it's decaying flesh where visible.

__

Damn, I've seen peoples bodies back at New York, but this is...horrible.

Whilst eyeing the body of the misfortunate soul Dwayne noticed the sparkle of Metal hooked under the corpses belt.

It was a Revolver and not like the Revolver Dwayne already had it was a Magnum.

"Oh Baby!" Dwayne cried in delight temporarily forgetting the body as he leaned down drew the magnum, placed in his Tactical holster he found in his dads drawer before pocketing the ammo beside it.

"Hmph, dad was to avoid this mess" Dwayne though out loud remembering as his dad and step mum had took a holiday in New York leaving the house to Dwayne.

But as Dwayne reached for the final stash of bullets, the head moved forward in an attempt to bite Dwayne's hand.

With a cry, Dwayne jumped back in fear before his fear was replaced by an overwhelming rage as he began to kick relentlessly at the Zombie.

Dwayne could feel the soft flesh and bones bruise and break under the constant hammering of Dwayne's kicks, blood was spurting out the impact spots and landing on Dwayne's face but he was to angry to notice it.

Eventually Dwayne's Rage subsided slightly and he became more tactical with his blows aiming them for the back of the creatures head.

The skull of the decaying mutation caved in and shards of bone pierced the Zombies brain finally killing it.

Dwayne breathed heavily as a large smirk appeared on Dwayne's face as he stood victorious over the battered mutation.

__

Just like old times.

Dwayne thought, remembering his days back in the Ghetto.

"This is easier than I thought" Dwayne said wiping blood from his check and spinning his Revolver around his finger before walking away from the defeated cannibal.

Claire Redfield

Winsor felt a type of peacefulness wash over her. At least that's what she thought it was. It was quite interesting to be feeling new emotions that she had despised.

Winsor opened her eyes, awake for good now and almost snickered when she noticed she was inside a van or another truck.

__

If I keep being moved to be alone while he goes and guards outside-

Oh, she moved her head slightly and seen Nathan was next to her. She noticed a blanket was shared on top of them. He had his arm under her head, cradling it by his chest. He had placed her in the van and stayed with her.

She realized she had her arm around his waist and she actually felt skin? _Of course, his shirt was torn off and all he had on was a vest..._

Winsor felt an embarrassed blush in her face and slowly removed her arm from his waist. She had always slept alone, nor has she ever been this close to anyone for a long period of time. She slowly sat up, the blanket slipping off her. She felt an odd mix of emotions. Embarrassment, happiness, and felt fearful of the desire that she felt. She looked away from him to the door.

"What's wrong?" Nathan asked, making Winsor jump from his voice. How long was he awake? How long was he, were they asleep.

"I, uh, nothing's wrong," she said trying not to stutter. She looked at him and felt her heart rise a little higher. _He was so cute..._

She suddenly looked downward, not wanting him to see her blushing face. "How long were you...I mean, you stayed with me? The entire night?"

__

Damn, the girl that always has something to say and now she stutters!

Nathan smiled. " Yeah, it was getting cold out and I woke up and you were next to me. The common thing to do was to find some warmth." His grin grew longer.

Winsor refused to face him. "How do you feel?"

Nathan looked at his side where the stitches had open up. "Stopped bleeding. I guess I will live." He lightly chuckled and Winsor forced a smile.

Nathan's face slowly became serious. "Sam, are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I just a little, I don't know," was all she could say until Nathan leaned next to her.

"Sam, are you blushing?" Nathan said with another smile crawling up his face.

Winsor lifted her head up and tried to suppress the laughing fit, but just let it out. Nathan started to laugh also.

"I'm sorry, I just never woke up with someone next to me," she said and stopped laughing suddenly. They both stared at each other and Winsor felt herself drawing closer to him. She closed her eyes and kissed him, deeply. He had kissed her twice, now it was her turn. She moved a little closer to him, their hands touching their arms.

They broke away, a smile spreading on their lips. She couldn't tell if it was all a dream, that she was never in this hell and be with someone who was one of the in crowd

__

A dream would never be this real, would it?

They slowly started to move toward another kiss when they heard Jarred's voice.

"Vanessa? Vanessa?"

Jill Valentine

The cold hands that clasped tightly over her mouth began to make her feel numb and helpless.

"Shh.." the figure pleaded her to stop kicking and screaming. "Be quiet. Or it will hear you."

The man released his grip from around her and hid well in the darkness of the bush.

"Who are you?" she whispered. "And what will hear me?"

The man slid forward next to her, revealing a Military uniform, and dark smudges of blood across his dark, unshaven face.

"The Nemesis..."he breathed, pointing out in the open grass area.

Vanessa peered out to the direction in which his hand was pointing.

__

No...it can't be....we killed it, we killed I swear we killed it...

"I have to go warn Jarred and the others!" Vanessa cried in a panic.

"No you can't! It will kill you!"

Ignoring the man, she quickly rushed from the bushes, past the Nemesis and towards the broken down pile of cars where the others had slept.

"Come back! You will get killed!"

With the Nemesis only a few meters behind her, she ran to the van, watching Jarred, Nathan and Winsor slowly emerge from inside it.

"Guys we have to get of here! That Nemesis creature is still alive and it's not far away! We have to go quick!"

Before they had time to move, a low growl sounded throughout the tunnel. It was the Nemesis. It was still alive. And it was hard to believe...


	52. The Other Survivor

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan stood straight as the creature emerged from the darkness into the light.

(_God dammit won't that thing ever die?!?_) he thought as he reached back moving Sam away from it. Jarred and John both bolted from the RV as did David and Alex from their makeshift bed.

"Jesus Christ!!" yelled John as he saw Nemesis take a solid step towards them.

Jarred rushed over to Vanessa and started walking slowly backward away from it. David grabbed Alex's hand and started running towards the mountains where the factory was. The Nemesis ignored them and kept it's sights on the others.

"Let's get the hell outta here!!" yelled John as he took off running after David and Alex. Jarred and Vanessa bolted right after him.

"Nath?" said Sam with a chill in her voice.

"Don't worry just step back slowly," he replied.

They were in a bad spot. The Nemesis was in between them and the others who were shouting for them to run but Nathan knew they couldn't out run it. It took another step towards them.

"Sam. I'm going to draw it's attention. You run past while I distract it ok?"

"No. I'm not leaving you!" she replied flatly.

"Sam this isn't the time now.."

"NO!"

"Alright then follow me," he said as he started off towards the RV.

They climbed inside and Nathan ran to the back. Looking up he saw the air vent and started to push it up. Sam watching the creature stalking slowly towards the RV.

"Hurry Nath!" she pleaded.

"Almost,...Got it!" he said as it slipped from it's place.

"Up ya go," he urged as he held his hands down for her to step on. She boosted herself up and turned back to help Nathan as the creature tore into the front ripping the door off and ducking inside. Nathan leapt up and caught the edge pulling himself up with the aid of Sam. Together they jumped from the roof and to the ground taking off the second their feet hit the ground.

"Com' on!!" screamed Jarred as he paced backwards with his gun drawn on the RV.

There was a loud cry from inside as the Nemesis tore it's way out and started towards them with building speed. A horn sounded and Sam saw that David had found a truck and somehow managed to get it started. Everyone leapt into the box as Nemesis bore down on them. Nathan being the last to jump in turned and fired a few shots from the D.E. hoping to buy them time. David slammed on the gas and the truck too off like a bucking bronco. The Nemesis howled in rage as they narrowly escaped,...again.

David had the peddle down to the floor and wasn't taking it off for anything. Twice someone had yelled at him to stop but he refused too listen.

(_We aren't far enough away yet._) he thought as he clenched his teeth and sped down the road. Nathan tried to walk towards the cab to try to talk some sense into David and get him to stop when David turned suddenly tossing Nathan from the truck.

"SHIT!" Nath yelled as he was tossed out.

"NATHAN!!" screamed Sam as she tried to grab him but missed.

"God Dammit David Stop you tossed Nathan!!" yelled John but David kept going.

He needed to get away. Far away!

---------------------------------------------------

Nathan felt the sudden weightlessness as he was tossed out. he saw a blur of trees and thought silently to himself that he was definitely going to die. Suddenly he was seeing bubbles,....lots of them. Realizing he must've landed in the river he tried to swim but the pain in his shoulder and side made it difficult. Finally breaking the surface he cursed David and prayed that someone would shoot him before he killed anyone. Swimming to the bank he laid there for a moment catching his breath while holding his side. He wasn't bleeding but it hurt like hell. Looking up he realized instantly that he was in trouble. He was staring............into the barrel of a gun!

---------------------------------------------------

Dwayne didn't know what he saw but it looked like a truck ripping down the road. He tried to make it to the road first but the truck was going too fast. Suddenly there was a body flying from the truck and heading for the river.

(_Whoever it was would live. If it was a zombie, he'd fix that problem soon enough._) he thought as he ran towards the figure. He thought he heard it talk but realized that the river was probably masking the moan that the zombies made. He watched as the figure actually swam to the shore. (_Can these things actually swim_) he thought but immediately dismissed the thought and strolled up to it aiming at it's head. As the figure looked up he was caught off guard. It looked like Nathan Law! His friend from school. He had become quick friends with Nathan when he moved to Gaines. They had both been there for only a short while but found a common bond about family that kind of made them understand each other and become quick friends. He felt sorrow now that his friend had become one of them and was about to end his suffering when suddenly it spoke.

"Dwayne?"

"Nathan? Your not a zombie!"

"No shit! Neither are you! Christ man I thought you were dead like everyone else!" said Nathan as his friend helped him up.

Dwayne was one of his close friend since he had moved to Gaines. They hung out together and both had similar pasts.

"Shit Nath! What the hell is going on man?" asked Dwayne.

Nathan explained in a rather quick fashion how the crisis came to be and who and what was involved. Dwayne stood transfixed by what he was hearing.

"My GOD! What the hell man? This is fuckin' messed up bro!" said Dwayne as Nathan finished his tale.

"Your tellin' me man. We have to get out of here though. That creature I told you about wasn't far from here and came for some stupid reason, find us anywhere we go!" replied Nath.

"I was hopin' to find a car and get the hell outta here but then I saw you playing superman," said Dwayne with a chuckle.

"Ha ha, very funny. Seriously though we need to find the others man. We need to get out of here!"

"You know me Nath. I'm always up for a little shit disturbing," he answered with a sly smile.

Together they took off down the road until they found a car abandoned on the shoulder. The driver appeared to be laying in front of it, but the both knew differently.

"You wanna drive or me?" asked Dwayne.

"I'll drive! I've seen you drive! If I want to die I'll go play with the corpse," answered Nathan with a smile.

Dwayne punched him in the arm in fun but immediately cringed when he heard Nathan cry out and saw the blood start flowing.

"Shit! Man are you ok? What the hell happened to you?" he asked.

"Ah Fuck!! Don't worry I'm ok. Shit man be careful I'm fragile," Nathan replied with sarcasm.

"Always said you were a pansy," laughed Dwayne as he helped hold the wound closed.

"Just pick the lock and start the car man," said Nathan.

"What makes you think I can pick a lock?" asked Dwayne.

"Do you forget the time we took Miss Ferman's car for a 'ride'?" Nathan replied.

"Oh yeah," he answered with a sly grin.

"Almost forgot about that," Dwayne laughed as he took out his tool kit and selected a small bar from it picking the lock with ease.

Seconds later the car roared to life and Dwayne slid over as Nathan climbed in turning the wheel and giving it a lot of peddle spinning it back around in the direction of the mountains.

"If we're lucky the managed to stop David and just maybe we'll catch them before they get there," said Nathan as he lit a smoke.

"Well if not we'll just have to crash the party like usual," laughed Dwayne.

For the first time since the whole thing started he felt like he was going to have some fun. Him and Nathan always found some kind of trouble to get into but this seemed like a playground made just for someone like.........Dwayne Summers.

Dante

"So David's a traitor then?" Dwayne asked staring out the car window watching the

ravished city come speeding by.

"No, he's still cool just getting a little edgy, can you blame him?" Nathan answered and

Dwayne nodded in return.

"Well I've told you my side of the story now lets here yours, how come you weren't at

school today?"

"My parents are on Holiday so I get the wide screen TV and all that shit so I just stayed at home for the first few days, and that's much better than having to put up with Mr. Fenders crap," Dwayne said pulling his face into a scowl. Mr. Fender was always barking orders at the class and if there was one thing Dwayne hated it was being told what to do.

"Like you put up with it, telling Fender to stick the text book up his ass heh heh God

knows how you weren't expelled for that," Nathan chuckled but still keeping his eyes

on the road.

Suddenly a large towering shadow appeared on the road that as Dwayne and Nathan came closer to, took on the shape of a tall bulky man.

"Who's that?" Dwayne asked leaning slightly forward for a better view of the figure.

"Shit! It's him!" Nathan shouted pulling the steering wheel firmly to the right in an attempt to swerve past the Nemesis.

However, the Nemesis saw the car approach and prepared to deliver a solid punch to the side of the car but it was met by Dwayne's magnum.

The Nemesis stumbled back after receiving a Magnum shot at point blank range, it's face dripping slightly with blood.

"Christ! You managed to hurt it!" Nathan said in disbelief watching the Nemesis clutch it's face out of the rare view mirror.

"Well yeah, It doesn't matter how big and strong it is, at point blank shot with this brute I'll hurt it for sure."

Dwayne then began rubbing his fingers.

"Recoil hurts like hell though," he added.

But the Nemesis wasn't hurt as bad as Nathan and Dwayne liked to think it was just stunned really and now very pissed off.

The Nemesis drew it's massive Rocket Launcher that was so big a normal man would struggle to carry it but the Nemesis wielded it as if it was light as a feather.

It cocked a fresh missile into the cannon and aimed at the car as sped away and fired.

Nathan saw the rocket coming and tried to swerve left.

After a huge explosion caused by the rocket Nemesis gave a victorious roar before turning and walking away.

But after the dust settled Dwayne and Nathan sat in the car coughing at the dust clouds that appeared when the missile hit the road.

"Man..that was close," Dwayne spurted before returning to coughing.

"Yeah..too close," Nathan replied watching the shadow of the Nemesis disappear into the background.

Dr.William Birkin

David finally slammed the brakes on, throwing the truck to a halt. Total silence enveloped the startled group of survivors, and then David suddenly found himself on the wrong end of four different sets of gun barrels. "Care to explain what THE HELL YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" yelled Winsor, furious at David's incident earlier. "Trying to save YOU people..although god knows why..." he replied, calmly looking at the stunned and enraged faces of the group, "Well? You people just going to glare at me all day?? Come on..SHOOT ME..," David began laughing, insanely, as if the situation he was in was the most hysterical of jokes. "Fine..look..we need to go back for Nathan..." interjected John, staring in confusion at David, Jarred and Vanessa nodded in agreement, and exited the truck. "God..do you people ever learn? HE'S DEAD...GET IT...DECEASED..the nemesis is back there..now, rather than spend our time searching for a body, I purpose we get on with this...we can't be that far from their backup hq or whatever the hell there hiding in..." David cynically observed, loading the Beretta m9 and the mp5a2. "How about we just shoot you huh? What good are you anyway..all you do is drool over Alexandra and say how we should leave people behind," yelled Winsor, pressing her handgun to David's head. David's eyes took on the same murderous look they had back in the tunnels, as he responded by pressing the barrel of his weapon against Winsor's face, "You don't know when to shut up do you, you stupid bitch..." "David..come on, she didn't mean that," said Jarred, glaring at the two of them. "No..I want to see how this slut reacts when she's been shot..I want to see her bleed..I want to see her BEG...," David began laughing again, removing the safety. "Fuck off you bastard..I AM GOING TO LAUGH SO HARD WHEN YOU'RE DEAD AT MY FEET..." screamed Winsor, shaking in anger, "YOU AND THAT STUPID TRAMP OF A GIRLFRIEND YOU HAVE..." Winsor then motioned the gun towards Alex "WE DON'T NEED MORONS LIKE YOU TWO SLOWING US ALL DOWN.." "You shouldn't talk. All you do is insult us all!" replied Alex, reaching for her own weapon. "Come on Samantha..." David smirked, uttering her name with a voice of total contempt, "Pull the trigger..unless you're too scared...and that's all you ever were, a scared little girl who somehow managed to keep herself alive..." "GOD DAMN YOU! WHY THE HELL CAN'T YOU JUST DIE ALREADY..." Winsor began to pull the trigger. A gunshot sounded from behind the armed and irate group. "OKAY CHILDREN....lets all calm down, we've still got someone to find.." shouted Vanessa, glaring at the three of them...

"SIR, SIR! THE NEMESIS! I'M READING SOMETHING!!", the frantic cries of one of the communications officers startled Markenson, "Well..get it on a screen.." he said, staring at the fuzzed out, disjointed transmission from the small camera installed inside the eye of the nemesis. A blackened crater could be seen, smoke rising from it, a message repeated itself over and over, "TARGET ELIMINATED, TARGET ELIMINATED." "YES! FINALLY!!!!!!" Markenson yelled triumphantly, laughing giddily. Unaware of the fact that his troubles were anything but over....

Jill Valentine

Vanessa pulled her hands over her head and shook it abruptly.

"Okay! I am sick of hearing you guys bicker all the time! Just listen to yourselves! It makes me sick just to sit here and have to put up with this shit as well as having to stay in a Town full of zombies and mutants, you think we are not already insane? So just shut the hell up and lets go back and look for Nathan."

David opened his mouth to protest, but Vanessa refused to let him respond.

Taking the gun from his hand she disengaged the clip from it, and threw the gun out into the open. Handing him back the clip, she silenced him once again with her hand.

"I want to hear nothing else from you either. Give us all a break and act your

age."

Winsor didn't dare open her mouth, not even to mutter a sarcastic comment, for she understood that now was not the time or place to piss Vanessa off. She had really gone out of her mind. Although Vanessa felt bad for what she did, she couldn't change it all now. They had to get out of here; alive, healthy, and sane...

-----------------------------------------------

Dwayne and Nathan sat silently in the dry seat of the old car, their ears numb from the rocket blast that had been launched at them minutes before. Starting up the engine, they resumed their trip, trying to avoid the large fiery hold that had stretched wide across the long Bitchumen highway.

"How long has it been since this whole thing started?" Dwayne asked, glancing over at Nathan in the driver's seat.

"Well, I'd say about 5 days...even though it feels longer."

Dwayne nodded, for his attempt to initiate more conversation was failing, and from what Nathan had seen in the past few days, he could understand why.

"I don't understand why this happened. I mean...Why us? Why Gaines?" Dwayne questioned again.

"Well, it's a long story. I know a lot about this whole situation. My dad used to be a part of this whole..thing..."

"Where is he now then? Maybe he could help us?"

"He's dead. I killed him.." Nathan replied flatly, turning away from Dwayne's concerned facial expression.

"I'm sorry man...Didn't know," Dwayne replied, apologetically.

"It's all good man. I know it isn't the best thing I've done in my life, but I know it's made me stronger."

------------------------------------------------

David once again started up the old pick up truck. Jarred, John, Winsor and Vanessa hopped into the back, and Alex sat next to David in the driver's seat.

"David..." Alex stuttered. "Are..you okay?"

David turned to her and stroked her blazing red bangs out of her face.

"Yeah, just tired. As usual."

Alex felt relieved by David's smile, as she leaned back in the seat, staring out at the hot sun, shining bright over the road.

Winsor sat in the back seat, peering out of the gap that once held the truck door, hoping, and wondering if Nathan was alright. She knew somehow that he was going to be fine, being the strong person she is, but then her negative side began to show.

__

He's dead. Every person you've ever loved always dies right? Damn you Winsor, you should of never fallen for him...now he's dead..he's dead damn it!

Winsor wiped the tears from her eyes, hoping that no one else saw her cry.

Jarred sat silently, watching Vanessa stare expressionlessly out the window; watching the dusty, rugged landform rapidly pass her by as the truck zoomed on down the highway. He wondered if she was okay.

"Hey," he finally asked out of his thoughts. "You alright Vanessa?"

Vanessa kept on staring out the window, muttering back a "yes" in response.

Although he wasn't so sure she was telling the truth, there was nothing else he could do to comfort her. Putting his arm around her, he held her close to him, feeling her cold cheek against his.

"There! I see some one!" Alex yelled from the front seat, as David began to press down hard on the brake.

Another car slowly pulled up beside them, two figures sitting inside, only one in which they could recognize. It was Nathan, he was alive.

City of the Dead

Winsor leaped out of the car and ran over to Nathan, nearly tripping over her own feet. She wrapped her arms around him, making Nathan flinch in pain from his injuries. Dwayne looked on in confusion, he had seen Samantha around before, she was one of those girls that dressed in black and never talked to anyone, why Nathan and her would ever have something to do with her was beyond him.

"God, I thought you were dead," Winsor sobbed.

"Nah, I'm very much alive," Nathan replied.

"Hey Nathan, what's up?" Dwayne asked.

"This is Samantha, she's...Well, you know," Nathan smiled.

"Ah, I see," Dwayne said.

He didn't really understand the whole situation, apparently, Nathan and the others have been going through a lot the last few days, but Nathan and Winsor were not the type to end up together.

Well, they say tragedies bring everyone closer together.

He looked at the other survivors and recognized almost everyone there. There was John, who was Warren High's only real skater kid, he was okay, kind of rude at times. Jarred, who always came off as a sissy and never said anything, made him an easy target for everyone's abuse, that and he never defended himself from it. There was Vanessa, who was beautiful and a little bit of a smart-ass to everyone, she was one of those girls that was different from all the others, but you wouldn't know that unless you actually knew her. There was Alex, who was a freshmen and wasn't very well known. The guy in the driver's seat must have been David, that Blair operative supposedly turned good. All in all, he was glad to see a lot of familiar faces, even if he didn't like most of them.

"Hey guys, this is Dwayne," Nathan said.

"I know Dwayne," Vanessa smiled.

"Yeah, so do I...unfortunately," Jarred said, with a hint of contempt in his voice.

"What is the plan now?" Dwayne asked. "We getting out of here, or what?"

"We have a score to settle, up at the Blair Headquarters, a madman is holding Ryan Bartlett hostage, and we're going to go get him," Nathan said getting into the car with the others.

"Ryan is alive too? Hmmm, well, lets go get him," Dwayne said, getting into the vehicle.

David started up the engine, he didn't want to speak to Nathan, and that was just fine because Nathan didn't want to speak to him either. The car kicked into motion and sped down the road. The subway tunnel had taken them to the other side of uptown; the industrial district wasn't far. Smoke stacks and large buildings could be seen rising above the forest that bordered that side of the city. Most of the factories and buildings were located deeper in the mountain, and Blair's pharmaceutical plant was near the top, it would take them about half an hour to get there.

The creature that had brutally slaughtered the guards was still wandering around the room, apparently from the crunching noises Ryan heard, it was dining on its victims. He raised his head up a bit and looked around the room and got his first look at the creature. From behind it looked like a nude nemesis, it had the same yellowish skin, but it was a lot smaller and its body had a sloppier frame. It's only arm was a lot longer than it should have been, and seemed to weigh the creature down.

Ryan ducked back down to think of a quick plan, he could make a run for it and pass the monster before it had time to react, or he could try to take it out. In the end, he determined that running was a safer option. He took in a deep breath, and ran out from behind the console, charging past the creature and the eviscerated guards that lay on the ground. As he neared the door, the monster let out an angry scream, then all of a sudden, what felt like a mallet hit Ryan in the back, shooting him forward. He flew out of the door and into the wall of the hallway.

"AHHH, Godammit," He yelled in pain.

His head had slammed into the wall; the pain enraged him to the point of no control. He got up and ran after the creature, unloading round after round into the monster's rubbery skin. It retaliated by swinging it's arm towards him, narrowly missing as Ryan continued to fire. Huge globs of red and purple fluids spilled out of the bullet wounds as the monster stumbled backwards. Ryan put the barrel of the pistol right on the creature's forehead and pulled the trigger, sending a wave of gore all over the wall.

"Son of a bitch," Ryan whispered, staring down at the twitching carcass.

He shot a glance over towards an open stasis tube, obviously the one that contained the hideous monstrosity. He walked over to it and read the label on the side.

"Bandersnatch, eh?" Ryan said out loud, once again eyeing the dead creature. "Well, Bander, you are one ugly fuck."

He kneeled down next to the bloody mess where the four guards once stood. A severed arm still had a tight grip on an assault rifle. He picked it up and took the clips from the others.

"Now Piers, lets have some fun," He chuckled, leaving the room.

From what he's seen before, the factory was gigantic, at least four or five stories. The school had taken a field trip there a long time ago, back when Blair was trying to sell a positive image to Gaines, before they began using the city for their hideous research. From what he remembered, there were huge chains of offices and gigantic rooms of machinery, not to mention areas outdoors where certain chemicals are stored in huge pools. Finding Piers would prove more challenging then he first thought.

__

Well, when I do, your getting a face full of bullets my friend

Ryan proceeded down the hall and began his search...

CNN News building, Atlanta, Georgia

November 24, 2001

9:15 A.M.

The day was growing even more hectic with each passing minute, even though, technically it was a new day, everyone had stayed in that night and worked overtime, trying to find any information they could on Gaines, Colorado before pursuing the story. Laura Andrews knew that a huge story was probably unfolding. And now they have eyewitnesses saying they heard a huge explosion while camping in a forest near Gaines, so they went to a lookout point that stood high above the city, and saw billowing smoke coming from where the city's clock tower once stood. They also claimed that they could see what looked like people aimlessly wandering around the streets, but since the view was from high above the city, actual confirmation couldn't be established.

She had been running around for hours, checking in with several employees to see if there were any new leads. As she turned the corner past a cubicle, she nearly collided with Greg.

"Mrs. Andrews, we've got townsfolk up in Colorado saying a massive convoy of military vehicles and helicopters are heading in the direction of Gaines, about three transport helicopters were also spotted heading that direction a few hours ago," Greg said excitedly.

Laura stood still for a second, amazed and perplexed by the news. What was happening? Had the town gone under mob rule or something? She had all the information she needed; she had made her decision.

"Get our people up north, tell them to get down there and find out what's going on, they should arrive at the town's border in a matter of hours...Cities don't just cut contact with the outside world Greg, that and the army heading in that same direction is no coincidence, lets get to the bottom of this...I have a feeling that something has gone horribly wrong," She said.

Greg scrambled away from her and ran down the hall. Another thought crossed her mind; some townsfolk from a neighboring city had called up, spouting things about chemical spills that had altered the minds of Gaines' citizens, making them extremely dangerous. She had dismissed them as crazy rumors, but then, she thought about the transmission, the one that showed, what looked like zombies. Was that video from Gaines?

__

You don't know that Laura; it could be anything, anything at all.

Then she had another conflicting thought.

__

They said the citizens became extremely dangerous, maybe that has something to do with the clock tower explosion and the military moving in..... Maybe those zombie things were the citizens of Gaines, No, nonsense Laura, zombies don't exist, pull it together.

She went back to her office and leaned back in the leather chair, closing her eyes. She was extremely tired and needed a bit of rest. The situation with Gaines was confusing. She began to doze off, comfortable with the thought that in a few hours, they would have all the answers...


	53. Worse Encounters

Dante

The group eventually spread out between the two cars do to large numbers which was probably a good idea since having Nathan and David in the same car was not a good idea.

Dwayne, Nathan, Winsor, Vanessa and John in one car, Nathan was driven, Dwayne was in the front passenger seat and the rest where sat in the back.

Dwayne turned around to Winsor and said "So your Nathan's bi- girlfriend then huh?" Winsor nodded.

Dwayne looked Winsor up and down before he leaned his head slightly to the side, raised his brows and smirked as if to say "Not Bad."

"Think yourself lucky, Nathan probably lowered his standards for you," he joked and Nathan laughed along with Dwayne, both taking it as a joke but Winsor just a gave a weak smile and laugh no less feeble.

"Heh. Heh. Yeah," she said before turning his head towards the window, the sky was now clouded over and signs of rain where starting to develop.

"So this Piers guy," Dwayne said as both he and Nathan lost their smile.

"What's he want?" Dwayne asked.

"You know, to find us with his soldiers and monsters, torture us and kill us," Nathan replied before turning to Dwayne whose eyes where wide in fear.

"You get used to it," he added with a light smile.

"Hopefully he's not done any of that to Ryan," Vanessa said leaning forward in the to look out the front window.

"Our luck held out until now, lets hope it continues," John said loading his weapon.

"When I get my hands on that weasel Piers I'm gonna make him wish he was never born," Nathan said gritting his teeth.

"This is the last stage if we do this right," John added watching the pharmacy appear in the distance.

---------------------------------------------------

"Hmmmm, so they think they shall triumph in my own backyard," Piers said pulling a sadistic grin across his face as he saw the two cars pull up beside the Factory through the monitors in his office.

"Sir shall we release the Bandersnatches," the skinny man said standing stiff as a board at the door.

"Hmm no, I've arranged for a little game with our guests," Piers said stroking the monitor as the group stepped out their cars.

"Who's that?" Piers asked grabbing the skinny man by the tie and pulling him towards the screen as he noticed a newcomer to his play toys.

"Eh I-I d-don't know sir," the man said trembling.

"Well find out you useless excuse for a human being," Piers said although there was no anger in his voice.

"Y-yes sir," the man said before turning and bolting out the room.

"Oh well, another sample for me to dish out pain to will be a rather..... splendid," Piers said caressing the screen.

---------------------------------------------------

"So this is the place?" Dwayne said as they all stared in awe at the huge building.

Claire Redfield

"This is it," John said.

"It might as well be," Dwayne said a second later.

Winsor looked at the building. It was huge, but it also made sense. Part of the place would manufacture medical supplies and the other part would do the experiments and other tortures. There was a good chance that the people that worked there wouldn't have known about the other job application. It was kept a secret for so long.

__

The secret's out now.

Jarred, Alex, and David walked up next to them. Winsor glanced at Alex and then at Dwayne. She was sorry that she had dissed Alex while fighting with David. As for Dwayne, Winsor wasn't sure of what to think of him. She'll find out maybe more about him from either himself or Nathan. She'll also apologize to Alex too...Later, like if she lives to tell it.

"Ok, everyone got their weapons?" Jarred asked. Everyone held a gun, some of different varieties that Winsor had never known. Either way, all very powerful.

__

Unless there's a huge creature like the Nemesis.

She ignored that thought. Now wasn't the time to reminisce on the monster's longevity and strength.

Dwayne looked around, searching. "Hey, if this is a very large building that creates monsters in secrecy, wouldn't there be guards around here somewhere?"

Good question. Everyone took a moment to look around, but saw nothing. No movement, no life, no sound. It was creepy.

Before they knew it, they were walking to the entrance. The twin doors were closed and there were small dents on the metal.

"Alright, let's do this carefully, "said Alex.

"Gee, it can't be that dangerous. Just walking into a building which we don't know what the hell's behind each corner and the fact we're in enemy territory where they have the home team advantage, makes it all sound unbelievably safe," Winsor said in a sarcastic tone. When she turned to look at the others, they were glaring at her. All she could do was give them a twisted smile.

Suddenly, there was a sound coming from the side of the building. Everyone readied their weapons, waiting for whatever it was to rear the corner.

A zombie shuffled with one arm hanging loosely from its shoulder. By the way it was dressed, it looked like it might have been a scientist or something like that involving a white lab coat. It shambled forward, moaning with each step.

Vanessa shot at its head and it collapsed to the floor. Somehow that reminded Winsor to not diss Vanessa openly when she has a weapon in her hand. She had gotten pissed, but Winsor enjoyed pissing her and everyone else off, even Nathan but not as strong.

CR-

-that was all the group heard before they were all thrown back a few feet from the doors.

__

What the fuc-OW!!!

Winsor landed flat on her back. She hissed in pain and felt someone or something by her leg. It was Jarred. She looked around. Everyone was on the ground, but slowly rising.

"Oh shit!" Nathan said.

Winsor and Jarred were the last to rise when Jarred started to go higher and higher. His feet dangled from the ground and Winsor saw it.

It was a mesh of flesh on a muscular body that had crashed through the twin doors with such a force that it through the doors of their hinges and everyone onto the ground. Its face resembled that of a waxed face that was melted and now resembled that of a grinning skull. But one thing that stood out was that it had one arm. An arm that was so long that it couldn't be real, but it was. And it was holding Jarred by his head.

Jill Valentine

The others stood back in awe as they watched the mutation fling Jarred up into the air; holding him up by the neck.

"Come on!" Vanessa yelled at the others. "We can't just stand here and watch, we gotta help him!"

Racing towards the mutation, she began firing at it's legs, hearing it screech in pain as a result of the shots. It finally released it's grip on Jarred, as he came flying down, Vanessa just catching him. The creature seemed to of been really pissed of this time.

"Arghhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" it screamed at them, angrily waving it's long mutated arm towards them.

"You okay?" Vanessa asked Jarred as she weakly pulled him back.

"Yeah," he smiled back at her, rubbing his neck in pain.

"Guys get out of the way!" Nathan screamed, pushing his way past Dwayne and Winsor. "Let me handle this!"

Firing wickedly at the monster's facial area, the shot's heavily pierced it's face and chest, knocking it down to the ground. Hearing it screech in pain once again, Nathan pressed the barrel of his gun to it's temple, and pulled the trigger; hearing one last painful gurgle erupt from it's mutated body.

"It's dead...right Nath?" Dwayne asked, cautiously approaching the creature, and kicking what was left of it's lifeless leg.

"Yeah, pretty much," he replied flatly. "Come on, let's go look for Ryan."

Reaching his hand out to pull Jarred up, Winsor ran by Nathan's side, grabbing his hand for a sense of security; Alex doing the same with David.

"You feeling okay?" Nathan heard David whisper to Alex.

"Yeah, I'm okay David," Alex whispered back in response.

With John trailing behind, the seven youths wondered cautiously down the dark hallway, hoping to find Ryan; safe, alive, and still human...

Joker

"Halo" Flight, 75th Regiment US Army Rangers, en route to Gaines, Colorado.

November 24th, 2001

9:45 a.m.

The ride by UH-60 Blackhawk was a fairly long one for the 33 Rangers chosen to spearhead the surgical strike set in motion by some mysterious transmission bursts in the otherwise isolated town of Gaines. The communique intercepted by the NSA's supercomputers at Fort Meade, Maryland from a Vanessa Williams was odd enough. But an unknown piece of footage clearly displaying the walking dead was enough to prompt military action.

It had been at least few hours since "Halo" Flight had set out from Fort Carson, Colorado, three UH-60 Blackhawks each carrying a contingent of eleven US Army Rangers. Their role was to secure a foothold within Gaines for the main convoy to deploy.

As Gaines slowly rolled into view on the horizon, it was time to prepare for the big dance...

Lieutenant William McFarlane was aboard "Halo 1" giving a final briefing, just as the Staff Sergeants aboard "Halo 2" and "Halo 3" would be doing.

"Rangers, listen up!," he barked, bringing any small-talk to an abrupt conclusion. "We will be deploying in an extremely hostile area..."

Behind him, the radio chatter from the Blackhawk pilots filled the air.

"Halo 2 or 3, you got a good view of the LZ yet?"

"Negative, Halo 1. There's some activity down there, but that's about all we can see," came the reply from Halo 2.

The Lieutenant continued, "We are to clear and secure a foothold inside the town of Gaines, Colorado for the ground convoy to move in and set up a command post. From there, we will be assisting in the clean-up..."

"Guess this is why Rangers lead the way!," Corporal Lemieux spoke up, much to the appreciation of the other Rangers.

The radio chatter continued.

"Watch your vector, Halo 2, it's gettin' a little tight here."

"Halo Flight, this is HQ, what's your ETA?"

"HQ, Halo Flight. ETA 5 minutes."

"Sir, what are we up against?," Private First Class O'Hara asked the Lieutenant.

"That we're yet to determine, Private," McFarlane responded. "The brass thinks something serious has occurred in Gaines forcing it to cut off all communication from the outside world. Basically, we're paving the way to stop whatever it is causing all this havoc before the shit really hits the fan."

"Alright, Halo Flight, let's drop to the deck, prepare for aerial insertion," came the order from the "Halo 1" pilot.

Gaines was getting closer. As Halo Flight neared, the condition of Gaines was more apparent. The streets were dotted with civilians who appeared to be wandering aimlessly. Fires raging left and right, the clock tower now a smoking, mangled husk of its former glory.

----------------------------------------------------

On a rooftop, a large figure stood, brandishing a large rocket launcher, black leather obscuring most of the nightmarish figure, although not making it look any less foreboding.

The Nemesis had been attracted by the sound of rotors carrying through the morning mountain air.

It growled softly as it waited for its prey to come into range...

----------------------------------------------------

Ryan left the dead end where there was a whole new meaning for the term. Four dead Blair soldiers, one dead... "Bandersnatch?"

Ryan still found the term quite funny, despite the fact it had nearly killed him.

As he came back to the corridor, he looked around, making sure there weren't any more surprises. Baird had told him there was only a skeleton crew here: Four guards, Piers and Markenson... whoever the hell that was.

Ryan looked at the weapon he now held. A fully loaded M4A1. "Looks like I didn't need the assault rifle after all. I had plenty to choose from in the dead end."

As Ryan cautiously made his way through the complex, he couldn't help but wonder if his "friends" were coming for him. He hoped they wouldn't. All he had ever done was get them hurt and, in some cases, killed. Just like Joanna, just like Paul, just like his entire Physics class...

These thoughts went away with the distinct sound of a gun cocking nearby. Ryan looked around his immediate area. Nothing but empty space.

Quietly, he made his way to the elevator which brought him to an area that seemed to be for research and development. Not as bad as the detention floor in some ways...

Ryan approached a glassed-off section which had blood smeared all over the walls. Inside, he could see what appeared to be fresh zombies devouring a corpse.

Worse than the detention floor in other ways...

----------------------------------------------------

Halo Flight were within a minute of their destination. As they moved towards their designated positions for insertion and "dust-off," the radio came to life.

"What the hell is that?"

"This is Halo 1, say again, what is what?"

"Halo 2 reporting imminent danger, 2 o'clock low!"

The pilots quickly located what the Halo 2 pilot was talking about. A solitary figure, quite large in appearance, wielding an equally large rocket launcher.

Before they could respond, a rocket was fired.

"Halo 3, break right! Break right!"

Halo 3 pulled away to the right, attempting to dodge the warhead approaching it.

The rocket streaked into the Blackhawk's tail, tearing it off in a forceful blast, sending Halo 3 spiraling to ground.

"Holy shit! Halo 3's down! Halo 3's down!"

"This is HQ, what the hell is going on out there?!?"

"HQ, Halo Flight is under attack! Repeat, we are taking fire!"

"Then return fire, Halo! You've got chain guns, don't you? We need that threat eliminated now!"

"HQ, we're out of range for return fire!"

"Halo, engage! That's an order!"

The Halo pilots started to close the gap to the Nemesis, narrowly avoiding another rocket. As the Nemesis reloaded, they were within range.

"Put this in your pipe and smoke it!" came the somewhat cavalier war cry of Halo 2 as the chain gun opened up, ripping into the rooftop...

----------------------------------------------------

The Nemesis could see the concrete and dust and debris being kicked up by the large-caliber shells pounding its position. It wasn't long before Halo 1 joined the fray, making the hail of lead unbearable as it slowly was directed at Nemesis itself, ripping into it with an unrelenting fury. A few stray shots perforated the rocket launcher, detonating the warhead the Nemesis had barely finished loading, rendering it inoperable.

The Nemesis itself appeared to be "rendered inoperable."

----------------------------------------------------

"Hooyah! That's some good shit!," Halo 2 called over the radio, bringing a smile to the face of everyone who heard it.

Upon seeing their handiwork, Halo 1 and 2 dropped back to the deck to complete their mission. They could see some survivors of the Halo 3 wreckage, but not everyone came out. Of the 33 Rangers intended to be inserted into Gaines, about 29 were remaining along with a wounded pilot and the Halo 3 crew chief.

The Rangers jumped out of the Blackhawks while they were still hovering several feet off the ground and waited for the order to move out.

"Halo, this is HQ, what is your status?"

"HQ, this is Halo, we have one down but the mission's a go. I say again, mission is a go. We are RTB at this time," the pilot said as the remainder of Halo Squadron returned to Fort Carson.

----------------------------------------------------

Ryan searched around the complex until another elevator was in sight, one that would hopefully go as far as the surface and allow him to escape...

The other thing in sight was Piers.

Ryan quickly ducked behind a corner and heard Piers' taunting voice.

"You'll never get out of here alive, Ryan! You're going to join the rest of the family, I'll see to that!"

A single shot was fired, hitting the floor near Ryan.

"Come on out! Don't you want to join your family? They're... ahem... dying to see you again!"

This made Ryan insane with rage.

"Grrr, enough of this game! Come on out! You little bastard, I'll send you straight to hell for making me wait so long!"

"You first!" Ryan shouted as he pivoted around the corner and, without thinking, slammed the trigger back as far as it could go.

Piers couldn't possibly defend against such an onslaught in such an exposed position, the full magazine hitting him in the center mass, making him convulse in some sort of demented dance before the magazine went dry. Piers fell lifelessly to the ground.

Ryan breathed hard, looking at the mutilated corpse of Piers. "Good fucking riddance. Ya'll don't come back now, ya hear?" Ryan said in a twisted parody of the Beverly Hillbillies.

Ryan suddenly stopped breathing as his heart skipped a beat. He could feel the hard muzzle of a gun at the back of his head. Without even looking, he immediately thought, _"Markenson..."_

"Thanks a lot, kid," Markenson said, smiling like a Cheshire Cat. "I've been meaning to off the son-of-a-bitch myself. I'll take that rifle now, thank you..."

As Markenson led Ryan away, Ryan noticed something which chilled him to the core.

Piers was starting to move again...


	54. Captured In Hell

Dante

Piers lay on the ground for a while before he saw out of the corner of his eye Ryan and Markenson disappear behind a corner, he waited a few minutes then sat up as if he had never been shot.

He undid his suit then removed a bullet proof vest riddled with bullets and leaking artificial blood.

He spat what was left of the blood capsule he bit on to give the impression he was coughing up blood onto the floor before standing up again with the same sadistic grin on his face.

__

Having those kids think I'm dead will defiantly be an advantage. Lets hope they find Ryan and he tells them the "good" news now back to my movie

Piers turned and left giggling sickly to himself.

---------------------------------------------------

"So where do you think Ryan is?" Jarred asked rubbing his beck from the Bandersnatch's vice like grip.

"I doubt Piers is parading him right in front of our noses," Nathan answered who was leading the search with Dwayne.

"There's gotta be some underground bunker or something," Dwayne answered as they turned a corner.

"Like in James Bond or something," Alex answered who was holding onto to David's arm at the rare of the gang.

"I wouldn't say that but along those lines," Vanessa answered who was in the middle of the crew with Jarred and John.

They gang turned and entered a long room with thick steel doors and walls.

Dwayne tried to open the opposite door but to no avail.

"Locked, gotta go back," he said turning back with Nathan, Winsor and Jarred. David, John and Alex had already left.

Suddenly, the door slammed shut just before Jarred stepped out of it.

"Locked! But How!?" Jarred said pulling on the door, soon Nathan and Dwayne joined in the struggle but still the door didn't budge.

David was seen shouting at them through the thick bullet proof window but the group locked inside couldn't hear them.

------------------------------------------------------

"Come on! We ain't got all day!" David shouted with Alex looking over his shoulder now and then adding questions like "What's wrong?" and "Why don't they follow us?"

"Shit, gas!" John shouted as he to kicked at the door noticing a pale yellow mist appear inside the room.

------------------------------------------------------

"No Good!" Nathan said as he leaned against the wall next to Jarred who where both exhausted.

"What's that?" Vanessa asked watching the glass seep in through cracks in the walls.

"Gas!" Winsor shouted as the chemicals rose up to her waist.

"Damnit!" Dwayne cursed resuming kicking the steel to door.

Nathan joined in, a supply of energy appearing from no where at the new dander afoot.

Winsor and Vanessa attempted to open the other door but slumped down as the gas started to kick in.

Jarred began coughing as he slumped down to the floor and crawled towards Vanessa.

"You okay?" he asked but he was met by no reply as Vanessa slipped into unconsciousness.

"Nathan!" Winsor screamed before she to fell to the gas.

Nathan ran towards her and tried to lift her head above the gas which was now at shoulder height but the gas had weakened him.

Winsor and Jarred to slipped unconscious.

Dwayne had fell down to his knees as he continued ramming the door with his shoulder.

"Looks like...this is..it," Nathan panted as he collapsed to the ground.

"Don't...give..up," Dwayne replied slumping down into a crouching position as Nathan too was claimed by the gas.

"Don't...give...up," Dwayne repeated before he too slipped away.

--------------------------------------------------------

"A trap! Which means Piers is coming," David said pulling Alex away from the door.

John nodded and turned away.

"But," Alex started to answer but knew that David was right as they darted away.

--------------------------------------------------------

"Excellent," Piers said sipping a glass of wine as he watched chaos unfold on his monitor.

"It's a shame the others escaped but one can't be too fussy, bring them to me."

"Yes sir," a Blair soldier said leaving the room.

We'll use them as bait.

Piers left Through a secret door into a chamber.

--------------------

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan awoke dazed and feeling very tired. With a start he jolted up and leapt to his feet. Seeing where he was scared him more then what he knew was coming next. The room was either the same one,...or an exact replica of the one he battled his father in. He took a quick look around and noticed that his guns were gone. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his smokes and lit one. Running his fingers through his hair in frustration he laid back against the wall and slid down. He knew that either he was dreaming or seriously screwed. Suddenly he heard static and a familiar voice sound over the intercom system.

"Well, well, well. Seems that you and me just keep an meeting this way."

"Fuck you Piers!! I'll tear your fucking heart out you sick son of a bitch!! Where are my friends?!? Where's Sam!??!" yelled Nathan.

"Well your friends are about to soon have their final battle with Nemesis! Finally they will know true pain!!" he hissed.

"You leave them alone Piers or I swear I'll,..."

"You'll what!?! Your a pathetic flea on my back and I've just created a new can of bug repellent. Meet......Judgment!!" yelled Piers as he flicked a switch and a spotlight illuminated a huge cylinder tube opposite Nathan. In it was,....his father!

"What the hell are you doing with him!! Why can't you just let him die in peace!!?" screamed Nathan. His hands were shaking with frustration of what Piers was doing and how he could do nothing to stop him.

"Soon you'll have your final battle with your father and then Judgment shall go on to be Blair and Isis's greatest achievement!" replied Piers with a sudden laugh like some crazy lunatic.

"Go to hell Piers!! How do you expect me to defend myself without any weapons?" yelled Nathan trying to buy some time.

"Defend yourself? What a splendid idea! Too bad I didn't think of it earlier or you might have lasted longer! I've learnt from my mistakes Nathan! I'll not make them twice! You may have defeated him before but this time,...it'll be over,...before it even starts!" said Piers getting a sudden shark-like grin.

"You go to hell Piers!! YOU HEAR ME?!!? GO STRAIGHT TO HELL! I'LL BE THERE WAITING FOR YOU!!" screamed Nathan.

The cables detached and the fluid left the tube. The creature inside twitched once before opening it's massive eye's. Immediately targeting Nathan!! Drawing back it's massive fist, it extended a finger and Nathan watched in utter horror as the nail pierced the glass like a hot knife through butter. In that instant the creature grinned and Nathan knew he wouldn't make it out alive,.....no-one would.

---------------------------------------------------

Dwayne didn't know where he was but he knew he didn't like it. To him it looked like he was in a feeding pen. Sam was laying against the far wall holding her head in her trembling hands. Vanessa and Jarred were just waking as well. Everyone seemed ok except,...Nathan!! Shit he wasn't their!

"Where's Nathan?" asked Dwayne in a sudden rush.

"He's...he's gone. Piers has him. He's going to die," said Sam with no emotion. Having just lost the only thing that meant anything to her she felt utterly lost and alone.

"What? Say's who? Nathan's a strong guy ya know! Takes more then just gas to take him out!" replied Dwayne trying to sound positive.

Vanessa and Jarred started to stir and a voice came into the room.

"Well. Rise and shine sleepy heads," cackled Piers.

"Fuck You man! Let us out or I'll kill you myself!" yelled Dwayne at the mystery voice.

"Such violence! Such rage! You will make an excellent test subject," Stated the man.

"Where's Nathan you fucking son of a bitch!!!" screamed Sam.

"My, my! Such a foul tongue. You sound much like Nathan," said Piers with a grin.

"What have you done with him!" Sam said in an explosion of emotions.

"He's having another family reunion," laughed Piers.

"What? No. You fuckin' bastard!! Can't you just leave him alone?!?" screamed Vanessa after remembering about the last reunion.

"What's he talking about?" asked Dwayne.

"Nathan's father. Piers has used him for a creation and Nathan destroyed it. Now Piers has created another from Nathan's dad and is going to put Nathan into a fight with it!" answered Jarred.

"What?..." was all Dwayne could muster as he tried to realize what his friend was going through at this very moment.

"Actually they have just begun to get reacquainted. Too bad for Nathan he doesn't have any of you with him. At least you children have your weapons!" laughed Piers.

"You didn't even give him a fighting chance?!?" yelled Jarred as he tore away from the wall and slammed his fist against the door.

"Don't waste your strength. You'll be needing it if your too last more then a few minutes. Oh? Right! I forgot to tell you all. I have brought an old dear friend to play with you. Enjoy!" with that Piers voice was gone but it was replaced by the grating of the feeding pen door as it opened. Looking out they saw what looked like as small scale model of a city block. They heard a terrible scream and they all looked up to see the hideous creation that was once the Nemesis and was now something completely different! It leapt to the ground and slowly rose from it's crouch. It's inhuman eye's falling on Dwayne. Marking the new comer.

Dwayne never believed in monsters but this was definitely no fluffy bunny!!


	55. Chaos Within Chaos

Dante

The Nemesis lashed at Dwayne with one of it's many tentacles but Dwayne being the only member of the group with no wounds dodged it quickly though he knew he was about to get some.

Dwayne capped off a shot with his Magnum. The bullet hit Nemesis over the left part of it's now exposed chest. The Nemesis was knocked back slightly by the force as one leg was pulled off of the ground but it still continued it's advance.

Jarred and Winsor also began firing but it seemed that the Nemesis was only interested with Dwayne not forgetting that shot on the road.

Vanessa, Winsor and Jarred had had their more powerful weapons stripped of them too. It was almost as if Piers had a grudge on Dwayne.

__

Why me? I don't even know Piers.

The Nemesis swung at Dwayne and caught him with the tentacle on the shoulder lashing through his clothes and flesh leaving a gash over is shoulder.

Dwayne fired again, this one caught Nemesis dead on the forehead and it fell over backwards and landed on it's back holding it's face.

Dwayne didn't have any time to feel proud though as the Nemesis was soon getting up. Dwayne stopped that as another Magnum bullet connected with the side of the Nemesis's head knocking back down in pain.

Dwayne shot it once more in the stomach as the Nemesis lay their in a pool of it's own discolored blood unable to get up.

"He did it," Vanessa said watching Dwayne stand over the Nemesis with the Magnum aimed straight at it's temple.

"Night Night," Dwayne said smirking as he pulled the trigger.

__

Click.

"Shit!" Dwayne said reaching for the ammo and mentally kicking himself for forgetting to reload. But the Nemesis pulled it's strength from out no where as it grabbed Dwayne in it's tentacles just after he finished re-loading.

The Nemesis raised Dwayne high in it's grasp and brought him down with sickening force onto the ground.

Dwayne felt his ribs brake as he hit the floor, his breath was taking away from him but he didn't get the chance to get it back as once again the Nemesis raised Dwayne high ready to deliver the finishing move.

"That's It! I'm not gonna sit back and watch anymore!" Jarred roared as he sprang forwards and fired at the Nemesis with his weapon though little damage was done.

Vanessa and Winsor followed and began firing at the Nemesis.

The Nemesis roared in rage and struck down all three of them in one swipe before it once again prepared to finish off Dwayne.

But as the Nemesis raised it's hand the load felt quite light and the Nemesis realized that during the skirmish with Winsor, Vanessa and Jarred, it had let go of Dwayne.

Before it had a chance see where Dwayne went it was met by a Magnum shot to the back of the head, knocking it onto the ground.

Dwayne fired the remainder of his shots as he walked forward, the Nemesis was pinned down under the constant fire and a tremendous rage was built up inside it.

But it never had the chance to vent it's rage as Dwayne quickly reloaded and fired 6 shots right into th back of the Nemesis's head as Dwayne stood over it.

On the final shot, the Nemesis's head exploded in a mass of flesh and blood.

"Gotcha!" Dwayne said before the adrenaline left him and his wounds caught up with him.

Dwayne collapsed to the ground with a thud as he held his ribs in pain.

"Dwayne!" Vanessa said rushing to him with Winsor and Jarred.

Vanessa supported Dwayne's head as blood dribbled out the corner of his mouth onto her lap.

"I'm fine..just some scratches," Dwayne said trying to sit up but collapsing again to the ground.

"Well done Dwayne," Jarred said "I had my doubts about you but you proved me wrong."

Jarred extended his hand to Dwayne who in turn raised his hand and they shook hands.

"You sure you're okay?" Winsor asked noticing the blood oozing from Dwayne's wound.

"Well, maybe fine is an exaggeration but I should be good to go in a sec," Dwayne answered as his head fell loosely to the side.

"We better get some F-Aid anyway," Vanessa said looking around the area in vain as their medical supplies had been taking away from them all.

------------------------------------------------------

"That little bastard!" Piers said as he noticed the Nemesis had been defeated. "The Nemesis defeated! By a little child!!"

"Eh Sir, what now?" the nervous guard who was named Trevor said flinching at his bosses anger.

"Have those three battle some Bandersnatches!" Piers answered still not taking his eyes from the monitor.

"But bring that one to me!" Piers said pointing to Dwayne on the monitor.

"His face is familiar," Piers said lowering his brows in thought.

"Oh and, patch him up, I need him at full strength for what I have in stored for him."

"Y-Yes sir."

---------------------------------------------------------

15 guards entered the feeding pen with their guns aimed at their members.

"Drop em!" one said.

As instructed the gang of youths dropped their weapons and kicked them towards the soldiers.

2 carried Dwayne away.

Jarred stepped forward to stop them but Winsor held him back.

5 broke away from the crew aiming at Winsor, Vanessa and Jarred and kicked the Nemesis's body towards a disposal hatch which opened as they pushed a button next to the hatch.

They left after kicking the weapons back to Winsor, Jarred and Vanessa.

Vanessa cuddled into Jarred's arm as all Winsor could do was look on and think of Nathan.

__

Please be okay Nathan.

---------------------------------------------------

The Nemesis's body lay lifeless in a pool of water, however the water had been contaminated with the T-Virus which began to revitalize the Nemesis's body, mutating it, reviving it.

Claire Redfield

Winsor stopped thinking about Nathan and looked closely around their new surroundings. It was horrifying life-like to that of a small city. The buildings were models of course, just hollow and empty inside. Winsor sighed.

__

I should have left them when I had the chance, but now I'm here with, with "these people". We are not going to get out of here alive. Game over.

A voice inside her argued to think positive, but the voice quickly died down when she heard something opening.

"That doesn't sound good," Vanessa said. "They put something else here."

Jarred quickly looked around and looked closely at the "city block". They were maybe eight feet away from walking into it. "Alright. Let's just stay together. Maybe we can find an exit-"

Winsor couldn't control the emotions that sprung forth. "Exit? How? We don't know what the fuck they just released and if you look around there is only one way in and out and it's locked!"

"Hey! Listen, if we go through this city thing, we might find another exit. You heard that door open. That means there are more than one way out," Jarred said trying to be positive.

"Yeah and something came out of that exit," Winsor barked back angrily.

"We can avoid it. We can even kill it. We have the ammunition and the ammo. Let's just get out of here and find the others," Vanessa pleaded.

Jarred nodded, but Winsor knew he would. Because it was her. He cared about her. Nathan cared about Winsor, but it can't, won't work out. Never. She was never to be with these people. She hated them and that was all that she needed to remind herself of the reasons why. They cared and that made them weak and foolish; it made her foolish.

Winsor started to jog away toward the city model. There were real streets, streetlights, and buildings, but no one would ever live here.

__

Only die here.

"Win-Sam! Slow down! We have to be careful," Jarred yelled.

Winsor turned her head at them. Both were following her and she angrily aimed her gun at them. They stopped running at the site with surprised expressions.

"Don't you dare follow me. Ever since I was with "your kind" I have been hurt and worse. I was better off on my own," Winsor said in gritted teeth. "I don't need you assholes to get me killed."

"Sam-" Jarred started, but Winsor cut him off.

"Don't call me by my first name!"

Vanessa looked pissed. "Oh really? You think you will survive on your own? What about Nathan and the others?"

"Fuck the others! They are probably dead right now as we speak. I have survived on my own all my life and nothing like this shit happened until I was with you people. I don't give a shit about what happens to you people or to Nathan! I-I-"

-And Winsor took off away from them, warm tears streaking down her cheek. It was the truth. It had to be the truth. She wanted to hate all of them.

__

And be like David? He left Nathan to die...

No, no she wasn't another asshole like him. He had been right about leaving people behind. She had always did. But deep down in her heart she knew she was lying. She did care for the others and Nathan. She just didn't know how to show it...

Piers grinned at the drama unfolding on the monitor. After the boy was taken away to the infirmary, he kept an eye on the other three as he let out the three remaining bandersnatchs. Each coming from a cell on the side of the wall in the far corner of the city. The city. What a beautiful hunting ground since the city had already been filled with the hunters, each stalking human prey.

He watched and heard the argument between one girl and the guy and the other one. Vanessa? He couldn't quite remember, but guessed the other one was Samantha. He watched as the girl lost it and felt that she was close to Nathan somehow. A girlfriend, maybe but that seemed to change quick. He loved how she pointed her gun at them and then ran off. It was beautiful; they were all starting to separate and bicker.

__

And they will die. All in terrible, painful deaths as will that traitor.

Markenson would die too. He, everyone who betrayed him. The soldiers, the scientists, the children, all of them by his hands.

He looked at the monitors at the different scenes of the building. Two bandersnatchs were around the city, but nowhere near Samantha. One was walking in the direction of the other two. Nathan was watching his father as he was probably waking up. Markenson and Ryan were walking in the hallways, Ryan at gunpoint. He saw David, Alex, and another person also there but in a different area. All looked like they were going to accomplish something, but Piers knew they would fail.

He looked at the "city" monitor again. If these kids killed the Nemesis...No, no he had a backup. There were four hunters in their cages along with a licker. And even in case, though Piers doubted they would kill the monsters, a gulp worm buried in its underground cage beneath the city. There would be no way in the hell the kids would survive that. If they had met up with the gravedigger, they would have been dead then. But the Nemesis...

__

It was in the past.

This is my future.

He slowly picked up the files of the children and started to read them starting with Samantha Winsor. Winsor. It did sound familiar, but faintly. Maybe he sent them to Europe to work in the headquarters. Why would they leave their daughter? He sighed and threw the file down. He got out of his chair and started to head toward the file cabinet. He had to see if it was a coincidence. Hell, he might as well also see about David's file and Markenson's and the boy in the infirmary when he gets the chance. Maybe there was something he overlooked about him and the girl...

Dr.William Birkin

David stopped at the corner of the antiseptically clean hallway. mp5a2 raised and loaded. "David...are we lost..?" Alex said quietly, looking at him. "Huh?? Lost??! Um..um....no, we aren't..how can you even imply that, I'm leading us right? Don't you trust me??" he said, nervously trying to reassure her. "Oh great, were lost and Mr. Pseudo commando over here is busy trying to look tough for his girlfriend...why couldn't I have been in the gas chamber..." said John, glancing back down the hall at the corner they had just come from. "OK OK WE'RE LOST..HAPPY NOW?! Damn...ok look, we need to retrace our steps and try and find another route or..something...". The sound of a bandersnatches fleshy loping steps was heard. "Great.....just great..". The orange nightmares appeared as if from nowhere, headed for Alex.

Alexandra's screams echoed off the walls as the creature pinned her to the floor, its elastic grip encircling her neck, it began to roar in an exclamatory note of victory. The next sound echoing down the corridor was that of gunfire, David depressed the trigger on the mp5a2, spraying 9mm parabellum ammunition at the monstrosity, blood splattering as it fell backwards, writhing in agony. David walked directly up to the convulsing body, raking it with another spray of gunfire, until the magazine emptied itself. "GOD DAMNIT....NOW I'M PISSED..." he said, yelling to no one in particular but hoping Markenson could hear him through some concealed surveillance device, "YOU HEAR ME.....I'VE HAD IT OK! YOU WANTED TO KILL ME, THAT WAS FINE, YOU WANTED TO KILL THE OTHERS..OK..I COULD GO WITH THAT...BUT WHEN ONE OF YOUR NIGHTMARISH LAB RATS TOUCHES HER!" he yelled, gesturing at Alex with the smoking submachine gun. "THAT'S WHERE I DRAW THE LINE OK?! YOU HEAR ME 'SIR'!???? I'M GOING TO HUNT YOU DOWN LIKE AN ANIMAL MARKENSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" David's angry cries echoed down the hallway, the adrenaline fueled rage passing slowly. Slowly, he turned to face Alexandra, "Are you ok?? Alexandra didn't say anything, instead rushing over to hug him and silently sobbing into his shoulder, the stench and rubbery feel of the creatures arm just reminding her of the living hell they were all in...

Markenson smiled, watching the monitor, genuinely beginning to respect and admire the traitor. Markenson thought of the future prospects at his disposal, Piers is dead.._I call the shots now....we don't even need to kill Sunderland, just persuade him that if he comes back to us we can protect that girl...yes, this is all falling into place.. _Markenson then remembered the augmentation Piers had received, but, he was secure in his knowledge that Piers was not the only person in the facility with supernaturally adept reflexes. Markensons eyes glinted a mysterious, almost artificial red, the veins of his eyes swelling in the light of the monitors. He had learned to deal with the side effects of the augmentations long ago, and was free to deliver that pain onto those who opposed him....

Carlos Oliveira

Nathan stared at the tank. His fathers mutated form ripping through the glass with ease. Nathan took off running. It was all he could do. After all he had no gun, no explosives, only a lighter and a pack of smokes. He ducked behind small building and lit a smoke trying to calm down and think. He was defenseless and in serious trouble. Nothing made any sense. Why was Piers so intent on using his father to kill him? The only reason he could think of was that Piers was fucked up in a bad way! Tensing as Judgment tore by he leapt away and started running. Ahead was a door. He launched himself against it and with a shudder it busted open as did his wounded shoulder. He winced in pain as he fell down but fear pushed him up and running again. After a few turns he realized he'd made a serious mistake. It' seemed like he was in a maze,...with Judgment blocking the exit!

Taking another left he came to a door. Turning the handle slowly he found himself in another dark hallway. Feeling he was through he thought he heard something and stopped. Listening he hear the relentless footsteps of the creature as it tore through the maze searching for him. Suddenly there was light ahead of him and a hunter danced down the passageway after him. Nathan took off back the way he came and almost ran smack into Judgment but at the last second dove sliding between it's legs and rolling to his feet he took off again. The hunter leaping at the creature who with one fluid motion caught it in midair and broke it in two. Roaring it's terrible roar it turned and sped away after Nathan once again. (_Great! Not only the freak to worry about but Hunters too! Some guys get all the luck!!_) he thought as he opened another door and took off around another corner. Passing what looked like a tunnel with a metal door at the end. Taking a chance he ran for it. Pushing the handle to his surprise it opened. Leaning back against it he slowed his breathing and waited. For now he was safe,...but for how long? He didn't know.


	56. The Security Risks

Dante

Dwayne passed out in pain as the guards dragged him away from the Feeding Pen,

when he woke up, he was lying comfortably on what seemed like a bed.

__

Feeding Pen? THE GUYS!

Dwayne tried to pull himself up as he realized that Winsor, Vanessa and Jarred where still

in the Pen but he felt a tug on his wrists and ankles and realized he was strapped down

and he was not on a bed but a soft cushiony crucifix.

"Good morning," Dwayne heard a voice and turned to his right where he spotted two

guards and for the first time Piers. But Piers was not looking at Dwayne like he had

seen him for the first time.

"As you can see," Piers said "we used herbal medicine to heal your wounds you

received during your fight with Nemesis, yes" with the last word Piers began

wondering about the room lost on though.

"How did you beat the Nemesis, after all you are merely a child," Piers said turning his

eyes to Dwayne who noticed there was a glistening of black in his iris.

"Not just a kid," Dwayne answered trying to retain his cool, "I grew up in one of the

toughest places in America."

"Really, so you're a Ghetto Blaster?" Piers snarled at Dwayne.

"Not any more though, got me a mansion in Gaines."

"And why was that?" Piers asked.

"Mum's loaded," Dwayne answered.

"Tell me child, what's your name?" Piers asked.

Dwayne felt himself fill up with rage at being told what to do but he tried to hide it in

case that was what Piers wanted.

"Say please," he replied smirking.

At that moment one of the guards stepped forward and punched Dwayne in the

stomach knocking the breath out of him.

"Your in no position to tell me what to do!?" Piers said through fritted teeth grabbing at

Dwayne's throat, it seemed Piers hated being told what to do just as much as Dwayne.

But Dwayne kept up his protest.

"Say please, asshole," he said grinning at Piers as he gasped for breath.

The two guards stepped forward but Piers gestured them to stop.

"Leave us," he said.

"But sir-"

"Leave us!" Piers snarled at the guards and with a quick salute they left the door.

"There's something about you boy," Piers said "You look familiar."

"Maybe it's my hair," Dwayne answered as Piers relaxed his grip.

"Tell me your name and maybe I'll remember."

"Say..please," Dwayne said who was pleased with himself at how angry Piers was

becoming.

But to Dwayne's amazement Piers didn't attack him, instead he un tied the straps

around Dwayne's ankles and wrists.

Dwayne wasted no time and as soon as the last strap was undid Dwayne thrust his

knee into Piers' face and dashed towards the door.

But his run was cut short as he felt something grab his neck with incredible strength.

__

Great, another stretchy dude.

But Dwayne was even more horrified that after he was lifted into the air by his neck

he noticed that it was Piers.

"Very interesting huh? And you thought I was just a mad man," Piers said and with

that he pulled his arm back and tossed Dwayne into the wall.

Dwayne hit the wall with great force and struggled to get his breath back as he

climbed to his feet.

Dwayne ran at Piers and threw a right hook at him but Piers simply side stepped it and

punched Dwayne in the stomach sending him hurling into a desk.

"You have one last chance..what is you name!" Piers commanded and at that

moment Dwayne seemed tiny compared to Piers as he tried to sit up.

"D-Dwayne," he panted there was no room left for anger as Dwayne was overwhelmed

with fear.

"Dwayne huh? Dwayne what!?" Piers said lifting up Dwayne by his throat and leaving

him hanging in mid air.

"D-Dwayne."

"Yes."

"D-Dwayne S-S."

"Yes."

"S-Summers."

As soon as the word Summers had left Dwayne's mouth, Piers dropped Dwayne to the

floor and he lay their for a few seconds gasping for breath until he looked up and saw

Piers' face.

Piers' face was staring blankly at the wall in a look of shear terror at a surprised

memory.

__

Summers! No! It can't be.

Dwayne caught his breath again and reached for the steel leg of the desk and just as

Piers managed to bring himself back to reality Dwayne hit him in the temple with all

his might with the steel bar Piers was wounded and fell to the ground but Dwayne

dropped the bar do to the tremendous vibration.

Dwayne looked around the room and saw wooden bench lying next to the crucifix but

Dwayne didn't have time to think about the strange layout of the room and he picked

up the bench and with all his might rammed into Piers with it.

The force knocked Piers into the wall which cracked under the pressure and several

small pieces fell from the cracks.

Piers turned around, his face now filled with anger and kicked Dwayne in the face

sending towards the wall again with blood oozing from his lip.

Dwayne tried to get up but was met by Piers sending his knee into Dwayne's chest

sending him flying to the roof which he hit and fell down again to the floor.

"This is where you die!" Piers roared and prepared to crush Dwayne's head but was

interrupted when the door flung open and a man stood their holding the two guards

dead bodies, their necks twisted at an awkward angle.

"Knock knock," the man said grinning.

"Markenson!" Piers roared and prepared to attack Markenson but was stopped when a

solid kick from Markenson sent him flying to the cracked wall creating a large hole.

Dwayne drew up all his strength and dived though the crack over Piers head and

found himself in a maze like corridor while Piers and Markenson fought fiercely in

the other room.

Dr.William Birkin

Markenson stood in the doorway, dropping the bodies at his feet. "Dr. Piers...I reiterate my earlier comment..you ARE a security risk..and I will not allow this insanity to continue," Markenson said quietly, staring at his adversary. "HOW THE HELL....no,...doesn't matter, its time for you to see the final stage of my genius..forget the paltry little bioweapons you've seen up until now, I am greater than any of them now.." Piers' eyes flooded with a blood red fluid, the sign of the augmentations awakening in his cellular structure.

Letting out a frenzied battle cry, Piers charged forward, only to be driven back by an inhumanly strong punch directly to his face. Slamming into the ground, Piers became hysterical with disbelief, "HOW! HOW DID YOU.....no....NO THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE..YOU'D HAVE SHOWN SOME OF THE SIDE EFFECTS BY NOW IF YOU..." Piers was silenced by Markenson's grip around his throat, Markenson smiled a cold smirk of hatred, his eyes flooded with the bloodlike fluid. "I was one of the lucky ones...some people can deal with the pain caused by the cellular mutation...you weren't one of those few...." Throwing Piers against a wall, he walked over and kicked him forcefully in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. "I really was hoping you didn't have to die, its a senseless waste of talent we really could use in the future, but my superiors were very very clear about how to deal with you...". Piers let out another yell of rage, standing up and punching Markenson in the neck, before throwing him up against the wall, the impact shattering a glassed in cabinet. "I'M FAR BEYOND ANYTHING YOU EVER COULD BE!!!!!" Piers threw a chair at Markenson, whose arm instinctively raised, absorbing the blow. "You're just like a child sometimes." Markenson sprinted up to Piers, the augmentations spurring him forward with inhuman speed. Grabbing Piers by the neck, he prepared to end the battle in the most final sense of the word. "This is pathetic, you throw out a promising future just to kill some kid whose father you have a grudge against...just like a child...and I could very easily make sure you NEVER make it out of here. But you don't deserve that..no...you're beyond help..." Markenson disgustedly dropped Piers, the gasping, bloodied researcher backed away, enraged at the prospect of defeat.

"There are so many people who'd love to see you dead..I think I'll leave your disposal to them...in any event, I have better, more important individuals to deal with." Markenson turned and walked out. Piers grinned, the augmentations accelerated healing slowly taking effect. "GO...go and kill the survivors..that is if there already not dead..I'LL DEAL WITH YOU LATER YOU FOOL!" Piers began to laugh hysterically, the laughter of a man who had lost his mind a long time ago...

Jill Valentine

The artificial light that was provided in that small confided space that was supposed to somewhat resemble a city, began to grow dim. Vanessa and Jarred knew there wasn't much time left; and the idea of Winsor storming off, didn't make things any easier.

"What do we do now?" Vanessa asked, growing impatient from having to sit in such a small enclosed area.

"I don't know...Try to find a way out perhaps?"Jarred suggested.

Vanessa nodded and ran over to the walls, running her hands along them, hoping to find a switch, a gadget, a door, anything. But it was no use.

As if they would be that stupid to let us even have a chance to survive, let alone provide us with our own escape route!

Vanessa sighed, watching Jarred stumble to the corner of the room. In exhaustion he collapsed heavily against the wall, his head between his hands.

"Jarred? Are you okay?" Vanessa asked, looking and feeling very concerned for Jarred. When he did not respond, Vanessa knew it was a stupid question to ask.

__

Of course he isn't okay, he's locked in a secluded unknown area, to die...It's the key to a person's insanity for god's sake!

But she wasn't going to give up that easy. Walking over to the wooden platforms that formed the so called "city", she began to push them over, with the little strength she had left in her.

"Come on damn it, show me a way out of here!" she screamed attempting several more times to push over the city cut-outs. It was no use.

"I wouldn't bother trying to escape from her my dear! But never you worry, I have a surprise for you that is sure to occupy the rest of your...stay here. Which I doubt will last any longer."

The man's voice echoed through the speaker's that were positioned around the four corners of the room. It was Piers.

"You fucking asshole, why bear us the torture and just kill us yourself!?" Vanessa screamed back, spinning around whilst looking at the speakers. The speakers boomed with laughter in Pier's response.

"I like to play games," he interjected.

Without notice, two slots in the ground began to open; as two large cages emerged from the underground; revealing, what had appeared to be, two monstrous mutations.

Each of the cages were marked with "lickers" on the side, and Vanessa definitely knew what Piers was up to.

"Fuck!" she screamed, as the cage doors began to open. The two creatures hissed wildly, revealing a set of sharp, mounted teeth that lined the top and bottom of their purple gums; a sleek pinkish tongue that resembled that of a snake's emerging from their mouths.

"Jarred! Get up! It's those things! Jarred! Winsor!!!" Vanessa screamed.

Jarred didn't look up from his slouched position, and Winsor must of hid herself behind one of the wooden cut-outs; probably sulking.

"Someone fucking help me!"

Racing over to Jarred, who was slouched uncomfortably in the corner, she began to shake him, trying to revive his conscience, in the hopes he would get up to help her.

"Jarred, you've gotta get up! Please I need your help! Jarred please!" she pleaded. Jarred flinched his arm back, and Vanessa stumbled back down to the ground. Jarred refused to budge.

Vanessa, annoyed and hurt, raced off to find Winsor.

"Winsor!" she called.

"What do you want?! Didn't I tell you to leave me alone!?"

"We've got a problem."

"Of course we do, we've always got problems."

"Look!"

Winsor rolled her eyes, and peered out from behind the wooden stand; her eyes widening in fear as the two creatures slid towards them, in slow graceful movements. One of them leapt up to the roof, hanging upside down, hissing and snarling at Winsor and Vanessa as it looked down on them.

"Shit..." Winsor muttered. "Okay, you distract that one, and I distract...that one!"

Vanessa nodded.

"Hey! Why do I get the one that you know will hurt me first!" she remarked, looking at the one that was stationary on the ground.

Winsor smiled.

"What can I say?"

Vanessa snorted as she ran towards the direction of the other licker, glaring at it through dark eyes.

"Come and get me, you piece of shit!"

grabbing a wooden plank that had previously formed one of the cut outs she had knocked over earlier. Without hesitation, she slammed it down on the licker's head; hearing it screech in pain.

"Oh shit, I think I really pissed this one off!"

"Shut up and keep hitting it!" she heard Winsor suggest.

"Okay.."

Raising up the plank of wood once more, she brought it down on the licker's back, not giving it a chance to get up and move. She repeated this several times, until she estimated that it were either critically injured, or dead.

"Damn, 12 hits, this is sure to give me a workout." Vanessa breathed as she turned around to find the other licker on top of Winsor.

"Winsor, you're supposed to kill it, not sexually provoke it!" Vanessa remarked sarcastically. It was probably the funniest thing she'd said since this whole incident occurred.

"Fucking hell Vanessa, just get this thing off me!" she murmured from under the mutation's sleek body.

"Okay, just don't blame me if you get a black eye."

Aiming the wooden plank like a golf club to a golf ball, she swung it back, resulting in the creature flying off Winsor and slamming up against the wall. It was a good hit, she seemed to of at least injured it, quite badly. Winsor got up and approached the creature, kicking it repeatedly until she rendered it to be dead. Vanessa stood back and watched.

When Vanessa was sure that both creatures were down, she raced over to Jarred and put her arms around him. She gently ran her fingers through his hair, and kissed his head.

"It's gonna be okay, I swear to you, it'll be alright. We're gonna get outta here, okay?"

Claire Redfield

Winsor growled at Jarred. He was still unconscious and to her still useless. She started to walk away when Vanessa grabbed her arm. Winsor turned her angry gaze at her.

"Are you fucking insane!? If you leave, you'll die or worse," Vanessa yelled at her.

"As long as you are not with me," Winsor snapped. She tugged at her arm, but Vanessa didn't let go.

"I thought you had changed! You stupid bitch! Why are you so damn ignorant when people help you?! You are driving everyone insane!"

"No, I didn't do that. You people did that to yourselves. You keep believing in hope. You

are hope."

"Then what are you? No, I know what you are. You are an unforgiving jackass. You diss everyone. Here I thought there was hope for, but I was wrong and so was Nathan."

That was it. The very last comment was all it took for Winsor to lose her control. She elbowed Vanessa in the gut and she let go. But Winsor wanted to hurt her more. She swung her arm at Vanessa and hit her face. Vanessa fell to the floor next to Jarred. Her gun slid across the floor away from her. She was defenseless.

The next thing that happened was just shocking. Winsor held her at gunpoint, glaring at her. She couldn't take it, the anger so strong. She felt more powerful than ever.

Vanessa looked up at her in fear. She had a nosebleed that was already at her bottom lip. Winsor slowly felt the anger drift away.

__

My god....I have a chance to kill her.

Suddenly, a voice told her to stop. It sounded like Nathan, coolly reminding her of what she really was. A person who was shunned over the years from everyone and now people were there trying to help her and she was pushing them away. She had lost hope.

Vanessa continued to stare in fear as Winsor put the gun down. "I have always hurt people verbally. This is the first time I ever killed hope."

She just stared at Vanessa and then walked to the wall fifteen feet away from Jarred. She leaned against it wondering if she could revive her hope.

City of the Dead

What was once a quiet city in the Colorado mountains, a city that was barely even on the map, has now become the center of focus for the entire nation. People all around the country tuned in to find news of the city scattered on every channel. No one knew the whole story, no one knew of anything that had been transpiring in the city of Gaines, no one knew of the innocent citizens being turned into flesh eating zombies by a biological weapon orchestrated by the Blair corporation and rogue elements of it's partner company, Isis. The story was just breaking and information about the incident was kept under wraps, but so far, it was already on every channel...

ABC

__

What we understood to have as a disturbance in a relatively unknown city in Colorado, has escalated into a full-fledged biological outbreak.

NBC

__

The details are sketchy but we understand that a city called Gaines in the mountains of Colorado, some kind of chemical spill or viral outbreak has prompted the U.S. military to take action and quarantine the city...

CNN

__

We are standing out here at the barricades outside of Gaines, Colorado where just miles down the road, a chemical spill has affected the entire city, now, we haven't been given details about the cause of the spill, but we do know that the city lost communication with the outside world days ago and a large explosion was heard within the town just last night.

FOX

__

A media press conference will soon be held right here at the barricades just outside of Gaines Colorado, where we all know has become a site of viral contamination, the officers in charge of handling the quarantine will supply us with more details and information on the state of the town, its citizens, and what they are doing to solve the problem.

---------------------------------------------------

Nathan crawled out of the darkened tunnel that he had used as a getaway from the Judgment. It went on a long way, evidently going through the whole factory.

He took in his surroundings. He found himself in a huge open concreted area, the magnificent forested mountains of Gaines could be seen behind the pipes and large machinery, showering the landscape with a beautiful green. The tunnel had apparently let out at, what he could only describe as a chemical field. Silver metal bridges crossed over huge pits of strange fluids, pits that must have dropped at least fifty feet. He followed the bridge along, crossing large holes that dropped off into vats of multi-colored fluid.

__

Heh, what do you know? This is where Blair's pharmaceutical products were stored, made, or whatever.

The thought of Blair being a company with intents to help people made him want to puke. Pharmaceutical companies make medicines for the sick, and research ways to make life better. And look at what Blair has done to Gaines, and everyone in it, the company was a paradox. He still didn't know the whole story with Isis, as far as he could tell, Isis was playing by the rules all along, only making a substance designed to help people, or at least, that's what Keel had told them.

__

Keel, I wonder if he's okay, if he made it out.

Nathan remembered the soldier's generosity. Keel knew they didn't trust him, and he kept his word, he helped everyone the best way he could. Apparently, Isis had a few rogues that were working with Blair all along, explains how they got a hold of Isis' new miracle drug that was going to save the world from disease.

It had been about two or three days since Ryan had told them the story Keel told to him, or was it more? The days and nights were all blurred together into one big nightmare.

Nathan continued to walk until the winding metal bridge let off at a concreted area the size of a football field. Markings on the ground read "Emergency Elevator, Evacuation parking garage"

"Parking garage eh? Well, driving out of here isn't the most dramatic method of escape, but its one nonetheless," Nathan mumbled to himself.

He ran through the cemented field all the way to the elevator to make sure it was working properly.

"SHIT," Nathan yelled as he threw the switch to the elevator.

The power to the lift was off, it had to be restored.

__

Oh well, someone has to do it. I'll set the power, find the others, throw Piers in some hydrochloric acid, and we'll all leave through there.

Nathan made a mental map of the surrounding area before leaving to find another way into the main factory, and hopefully avoiding, Judgment...

Winsor stared off into space, her spirits completely drained, she didn't even know if fighting this hard was worth living, she had been brought nothing but misery and stress ever since she joined up with the other survivors, but then again, her whole life wasn't exactly a bowl of cherries either.

Vanessa wiped the blood from her nose, tears forming in her eyes, everything was falling apart, Jarred, one of her only motivations to escape and to live, had clearly lost all hope, and Winsor who Vanessa thought was opening up and becoming more of a friend, had turned out to be a disappointment. Nathan, Ryan, David, Alex, John, and Dwayne were all gone.

"Vanessa?" Jarred said in a saddened calm voice.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"I love you," he said.

"No, don't say that, we're going to get out of here, we have too, we..." She was interrupted.

"Its over Vanessa...There's no more reason to fight, we're not going anywhere, we wandered into the lion's den with all the confidence in the world, and that was our mistake," Jarred muttered.

"N..No...Please don't say that," Vanessa said, beginning to cry.

"I'm sorry, but we failed," he said, he had completely given up.

"No Jarred, your all I have now, the only thing that means anything to me, please, please, don't do this to me," she sobbed.

"I love you Vanessa," he said again.

Vanessa jumped up and ran away down the fake city street, she couldn't bear to see Jarred like that, she remembered how he had always encouraged her and kept her spirits up, even in the worst of situations, and now, the fire that had driven him this far, had gone out. She had no idea what to do, and for the first time since this whole mess began, she felt alone...

"Dwayne," a familiar voice called.

He turned to see John, David, and Alex, finally, he had found someone.

"Hey guys," Dwayne said.

"What happened to the others?" John asked.

"Well, Jarred, Winsor, and Vanessa are still trapped in the testing grounds as far as I know, we have to get them out of there, I've been trying to find a way there but I haven't located it yet," Dwayne said.

"The testing grounds? I know where that's it, I can take us there, come on," David said, surprised he was actually going along with the plan, it didn't really matter, but he had gotten bored walking around the factory with no real purpose.

David took the lead and directed them down one of the long winding hallways, the testing grounds were on the other side of the factory, he remembered when he saw them, the place was a city model. He remembered that once the doors were shut, the only way out was through the ventilation pipes, which were probably well hidden around the city model.

__

Doesn't really matter, Piers has probably already bombarded them with as many bio weapons as it takes to finish them off, the only thing we'll find when we get there is a fresh pile of mutilated corpses.

All of a sudden, gunshots erupted up through the hall, one ricocheting off the wall a few feet in front of David's head. Everyone ducked and drew their weapons. The shooter was just around the corner, David snuck up, hugging the wall, then in an instant, he jumped out and aimed at a person standing there.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE!!!!" The person yelled.

It was Ryan, David put his gun away as Ryan came up to everyone.

"You guys are here?" Ryan said. "Where are the others?"

"We're going to go get them now," John said.

"Dwayne???" Ryan asked, a little bit confused.

"Yeah, hey Ryan," Dwayne waved.

"I didn't know you were alive, it's good to see you," Ryan said.

"Same here man," Dwayne replied.

"Alright, let's go," David said taking lead once again, proceeding down the hall Ryan was firing at them from.

Ryan was overjoyed to see that the others were still alive and well, and even more glad to see that Dwayne was there, he never really talked to him all that much, just a few quick conversations and greetings, but it was still good to see that someone else had survived the nightmare Gaines had become.

"Oh guys, I forgot to tell you something, you may not like it to much," David said.

"What is it?" Ryan asked.

"Well, in order for us to access the testing grounds, we're going to have to make our way through the uh...um...holding area," David said.

"Holding area? As in, where all the goddamn freaks of nature are kept?" Dwayne asked.

"Yeah and chances are, in these conditions, the creatures have all escaped, so we're going to want to stick to the catwalks that are hanging from the ceiling, and we should be fine, there actually may not be anything to worry about if all the creatures have escaped and ventured into other areas," David said.

"Jesus Christ," Alex whispered.

"Alright, lead on David," John said.

If things couldn't get any worse, now they had to all go through the monsters' fucking playpens. But their friends were in danger, and they would go through anything to help them...


	57. Brutality And Insanity

Dante

After what seemed like an eternity of walking, David finally lead them to the Testing Pen.

"We're here," David said.

"Finally, my ribs are killing me," Dwayne said as his fight with Piers began to catch up on him.

"How do we get in?" Alex said looking hopefully at David who looked the massive steel door leading into the pen up and down.

"Dunno," David answered but as he took a step towards the door, it automatically flung open.

"Handy," Dwayne said.

"Too handy if you ask me," Ryan said taking a step back.

"No choice, unless you wanna leave the Nathan, Jarred, Winsor and Vanessa die," Dwayne said stepping through door.

"Just so we're clear," Ryan said stepping through the door also.

They all followed through the door and it shut behind them.

"Which way?" John asked looking around the pen relieved there where no monsters.

"I'm not sure where Nathan is but the rest where in like a miniature city," Dwayne said now doing the leading.

"Lets find them then," David said no too bothered about what happens to Nathan.

---------------------------------------------------

After again what seemed like ages of walking, Ryan, Alex, David, Dwayne and John came across Jarred, lying emotionlessly on the floor in the card board city.

"Jarred, man you okay?" Ryan said leaning forward.

"All hope is lost," Jarred said.

"That's not true!" Alex said. "There's plenty of Hope left"

"Vanessa's still alive," John said. "That's gotta be hope enough"

"No Hope, just pain, always pain," Jarred said.

Ryan and John pulled Jarred up and leaned him a tall cardboard building.

"Listen, we're gonna get out of here," John said. "I'll do whatever it takes, I promise you"

Jarred started to be brought back into reality.

"Kay," he said leaning forward emotionlessly.

"Let's go," he said walking away.

The others followed but they each gave each other looks like: He's finally lost it.

Jill Valentine

Vanessa wiped the tears from her eyes and pressed herself up against the corner of the wall; feeling the blood and dirt that had collected on her face throb painfully seep through her skin.

__

There's nothing left to hope for. Nothing. I wish that back at the News's Station, I remained dead! her mind screamed as more tears flowed down her rose-blushed cheeks. She couldn't stop the sobs that erupted from her dry rugged throat as she pressed herself harder against that corner in that dark secluded room.

"Vanessa, are you alright?" she heard Ryan's voice echo as his footsteps approached her closer.

"Yeah, fine..." she muttered, closing her eyes.

"Vanessa, I'm sorry," Jarred's voice interrupted as he gently pushed past Ryan.

Before he could touch her, she quickly got up and ran to the window.

"If you've lost all hope in yourself, I've lost all hope in me!!" she cried, watching Winsor emerge from the city outline. Jarred had a longing look in his eyes, as he tried to reach out to her.

"I didn't mean what I said...we'll get out of here, I swear it! Please, stop being silly and let's go..." Jarred pleaded.

"NO! I DON'T CARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Her voice had projecting to such a deafening tone, that it made her echo shake the walls slightly.

Vanessa had totally lost it...

Winsor thought as she watched her screaming and yelling in an insane fit.

__

Maybe that slapping did her no good...

"Vanessa, calm down will you!" Ryan shouted, moving his hands abruptly in an irritated gesture.

"We are all on the verge to going insane you know! Stick together, and we'll make it!" she heard Dwayne agree with Ryan.

"I don't like this place...I don't like it!" she shouted again, looking down at the ground and spotting a piece of sharp glass that had once been apart of the observer's window.

Dwayne and the others must have shattered that window...

She kneeled down and cautiously scooped up the piece of broken glass with her hand, aiming it towards her neck as she stood up.

"NO!!!! Vanessa don't you do that!!! PLEASE!!!!!" she heard Jarred cry.

Vanessa began to cry even more, as her wrist strengthened and moved closer towards her neck.

"I love you Jarred."

In one swift movement, she drove the sharp edge of the glass into her neck; bringing it slowly across as the skin that once formed her neck began to tense as blood poured out from the open wound that now remained across her throat.

The pain was mortifying, but not as mortifying as the look in Jarred's eyes.

"VANESSA!??!!!!!!!!!!"

"Vanessa? Wake up! Vanessa!"

Vanessa slowly opened her eyes to see Jarred's worried expression locked onto her.

"It was just a dream..." she muttered, as she eyed the room, noticing Dwayne, Ryan, Alex and David had joined them.

"The others are here."

Dr.William Birkin

A shriek of rage pierced the darkness. "Oh great..now what.." said Ryan, looking around. "Sounds like a hunte-" before David could finish his sentence, however, the hunter that had let the battle cry out was already on him, its shadowy form leaping from behind him. David fell to the ground, the mp5a2 fell from his hands, hit the ground, and sprayed a burst of 9mm ammunition into a wall. The hunter yelled victoriously, and began swiping at David furiously, a claw piercing his arm somewhat. Trying to ignore the pain, he fumbled for his Beretta, and raised it to the creatures face. The two shots echoed off the cavernous walls, imploding the hunters face, knocking it down where it convulsed and spasm before dying promptly. "Well...nice to see you're all still alive.." David said, looking at Vanessa and the others they had found, wiping the blood off his face...


	58. Holding Onto Hope

Well, it's been a long time. Too Long. To bring you up to date. . .nothing has really happened on BioMutation. Over the time, COTD created a sequel to BM (with new and returning characters from BM) and even a BM1/2 (that took place with a new group of survivors somewhere else in Gaines), but they died real quick COTD said he was going to write the ending in three chapters. . .but, he never did. Sorry. Anyway, this and the following chapter were the original idea on how it should end. He didn't like the original idea and was going to scrap them. So technically this is the original idea, unofficial ending.

Who knows if it will ever be finished.

REMINDER: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL ENDING. THUS, IT MIGHT BE CHANGED IN THE FUTURE.

City of the Dead

Clearly, the survivors were on edge, the tragedy of Gaines and the reality of Blair's horrific experimentations were finally getting to everyone, it had officially been a week since the whole mess began. Jarred stood amongst the others, not even paying attention as one of them spoke, remembering when it all began, watching it unfold with Vanessa and Paul. He saw the town's reaction and the police trying to stop it, but they couldn't have stopped it. They had no control over fate. All they could do was stand by helplessly as the citizens of Gaines began to change, dieing as a result of the virus, and then re-animating as the walking dead.

"It's really weird you know?" Ryan spoke up, his words bringing Jarred back into reality. "Out of the entire city of Gaines, we're the only ones left, out of the thousands of people, it's only us."

Jarred looked around, gazing at the diverse group of teens who had survived by banding together, a group of teens who, otherwise would have never spoken to each other.

"Isn't the same without Nathan, though," John responded.

"What do you mean?" Ryan asked.

"Well, he's just always kind of been the leader, rallying everybody up and all," John explained.

No one said anything, but in their minds they all agreed, he had practically led them to this point, and now that he wasn't with them, it just felt kind of odd.

"We've got to find him," Winsor spoke up.

Everyone seemed surprised by her words, but agreed with them, nonetheless.

"Alright, lets go nail us a psychotic scientist and find Nathan," Ryan said, excitedly.

"Sounds like a plan, I owe that son of a bitch Piers a couple of bullets to the face," Dwayne said.

"Now, we're going to need to get out of here, all the entrances to the testing facility are automatically sealed when shut, but there should be some kind of ventilation system we can use," David said. "Start looking for them, they could be anywhere, from inside these fake buildings to the walls." He pointed out.

Everyone nodded and started searching for the ventilation shafts, David was right, the only way in was an entrance that automatically sealed shut and couldn't be opened from the other side.

"Vanessa," Jarred called out to her.

"What is it?" She asked.

"I'm sorry about everything, my head wasn't all there and I uh.."

"Its okay, just that your here now," Vanessa said, kissing him gently. "Don't worry, we'll make it out of here, we've come to far to give up now." Her soothing words penetrating and melting away Jarred's sadness.

"Yeah, you're right...your everything to me Vanessa, there isn't anything left, and just the fact that we're together is enough to get me through anything," Jarred nervously said, he wasn't good with things like this, so he wasn't sure if he had worded everything right.

"I know, same here, I've never felt this way about anyone...And I always thought you were kind of cute back in school, even though you never said anything." She smiled.

"Heh heh, really?" He laughed.

"Mmmhmmm, when you would walk up the halls, the way you always frantically combed down your hair with your hand, and even though you always seemed to be in a rush, you always found the time to say hi, " she responded with a smile.

For a moment, Jarred didn't say anything, he searched for the perfect words to say, the words that described all the emotions he was feeling at the moment, when he quickly realized that they were quite simple.

"I love you Vanessa," he said, hugging her tightly.

"I love you too Jarred, now let's go help find a way out of here, okay?" She said.

"Okay, lead the way," he said.

"You just want to look at my ass," she joked.

"What? Ahhh, no I don't, I just thought it would be best if, uh, and..." Jarred stuttered.

"I was kidding, Jarred," she laughed.

"Oh, Alright then, I get it," Jarred said, countering with a smirk of his own. "Lets get going."

The two ran down the city block towards the others, their minds shifting towards the ventilation shafts and where the opening would be. It could be around the fake city backdrop wall, or it could be in one of the buildings, everyone had started looking in different places, Vanessa and Jarred decided to look around in some of the buildings...

Nathan had been incredibly wary of his surroundings, he had a lot to worry about, from his mutated father, Judgment, to Piers and his other creations. It had taken him a while to make his way around the factory, but he'd rather be safe than sorry.

"Where the hell am I?" He said out loud, frustrated.

He had been wandering around in the lower levels of the place, thinking that maybe the power supply station was down there, but so far, he hadn't found anything.

"BINGO," Nathan yelled as a wall of flashing red lights caught his attention.

He ran over to it, the controls and signs barely visible from the dim red glow. Nathan gazed at the panel, racking his mind trying to find the right controls.

"Okay, this shouldn't be too complicated," Nathan whispered to himself.

He pulled down several levers, each of them controlling a percentage of the power supply. He knew what he was doing, he remembered how his dad taught him about power grids and systems in case of emergencies...and now his father was stalking around, trying to find and kill him.

__

No, he isn't my dad anymore, my dad died back at Warren High School, by my own hands, that thing stalking around isn't him.

Nathan gave himself a mental kick in the ass and forced his mind off the subject. He opened up a panel, and inside was a row of buttons, each representing a floor of the facility. He pushed them all, and a green light lit up above the panel.

Only one thing left to do.

He threw the main switch and all of a sudden, the darkness was washed away to reveal a stockpile of corpses.

"What the fuck?" Nathan yelled, almost nauseated by the stench.

He held his shirt over his nose and took a closer look at one of the corpses. Half of its head was missing and its body was filled with bullet holes, looked like from an automatic weapon.

"Must have been the ones who got infected," Nathan said after seeing the lab coats.

Whatever, it didn't matter, he had restored power to the downed areas of the factory, now all he needed to do was locate the emergency elevator power grid and then they'd be out of that death trap. Since the elevator was on the north side of the complex, it would make sense that the power system would also be on the north side, so he decided to check there first. Nathan ran down the gigantic corridors to the main stairwell. Getting out of the basement, and away from all those bodies.

They had been lucky, Dwayne and Ryan found the ventilation shafts after a short search. They were located in a mock grocery store set up near the wall of the testing area.

The group of survivors crawled through the tight, uncomfortable shafts.

"Man, this thing kills your upper body," John said as he crawled awkwardly through the shaft.

Winsor trailed on behind him, enduring his frequent complaints. The ventilation shafts were full of cob webs and the dizzying smell of dust, it reminded her of when she first met up with everyone, when she was climbing through the ducts of Warren High School. It had seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Hey guys, this looks like a good spot to land," Jarred said, spotting an exit they could use.

From what he saw out of the metal grating, it looked like one of the factories many hallways. Jarred pushed away the grating and climbed out of the cramped air ducts, shaking off the dust and picking away cob webs from his hair. They had finally made it out of that forsaken testing area. Dwayne was the next to come out, followed by John, David, Alex, Winsor, Vanessa, and Ryan.

"Alright, we've gotta find Nathan," Jarred said staring at the other survivors.

"How many times do I have to tell you, he's already dead," David muttered.

"Okay, I haven't known you for very long, but what exactly, the fuck, is your problem?" Dwayne turned, scowling at David.

"There isn't a problem, I'm simply saying that Piers took Nathan, he's not letting him go anywhere, he's probably already killed him and we're not going anywhere either," David explained.

The others continued to argue over Nathan's and their own fate. Winsor tried not to think of Nathan as being dead. The only person who ever cared for her, and the only person she really cared about. If he was dead, then there was no reason for her to go on living.

__

Exactly, look at you now, your a pathetic, sensitive little dependent girl, just like little Alex over there.

A cruel mocking voice seemed to scream out at her, the same voice that despaired everyone, her old self. She had always told herself not to get attached to anyone, that they would always leave her, just like her parents did, just like everyone else. Before she started sinking into the depths of depression, someone's words seemed to rescue her from her state of self-loathing.

"I don't care, I'm not leaving until we've gotten Nathan," she thought she heard Jarred say.

"Yeah, and everyone else agrees," Dwayne added.

There was truth to his words, no one wanted to leave Nathan behind, he had risked his life several times to save theirs, and they weren't just going to leave him behind.

"Now David, since you know this place well..." Jarred said, seemingly mocking the fact that he was an agent for Blair "Maybe you can direct us to where Nathan might be."

David gave Jarred a look of anger, but refused to say anything else about it.

"Piers probably took him to the main laboratory...From here, we'd have to go through the chemical processing rooms, which I'm sorry to say, are quite extending and extremely dangerous," David said.

"I don't give a damn, where are they?" Jarred snapped.

"We'll go down this hall, and enter the heating room, which is where the elevator is located." David said.

"Okay, thank you , now everyone, lets get going," Jarred said.

Jarred led the way down the hall, he was determined to find Nathan, and he knew that he was still alive, he had to be...


	59. Rising And Falling

City of the Dead

The waste disposal room was about the size of a large coliseum. A grand display of mildly bizarre architecture located at least a hundred feet below the surface of the facility. It was in this chamber that Blair watched all their problems and failures vanish into a pool of yellow-6, an acid that ultimately, made things disappear. It was also where Blair kept an eye on all of Gaines as well as their own facilities, within the chamber was the whole security system for the laboratory, walls of surveillance monitors could access just about any area of Gaines. Sitting at the desk was once a gifted scientist who had been slowly losing his sanity ever since he started working for Blair.

"Damn little bastard...and Markenson too, where the hell are they?" Piers growled, feeling a small trickle of blood flowing down his chin.

The muscles in his right arm twitched frantically. The very feeling enraged him further. Markenson had somehow gotten into the augmentation device, and now it seemed as if-

-As if his body was one of the few with the design to handle the Augmentation process.

Piers grinded his teeth together, feeling the enamel scrape away from the force. The side effects of the augmentation were clearly showing, meaning he only had a certain amount of time left, and he wanted to destroy them all before this time ran out. He searched the security monitors for any sign of Markenson, Judgment, or Nathan. As he speedily typed at the keyboard, different areas of the factory flashed by. The main laboratory...nothing, The offices...nothing, the boilers...nothing, processing room...nothing, until...

"WHAT!!" Piers screamed, he couldn't believe his eyes.

The monitor displayed one of the hallways near the Office B area, and within the hall, stood the others, mocking him with their own stubborn survival. They had somehow made it out of the testing grounds, meaning that they had destroyed the Nemesis and his other creations. Piers felt his blood boil, every single attempt he had made at destroying them was only in vain, they had always come out alive and virtually intact.

"I'll take care of them myself" Piers whispered, loading a fresh clip into his handgun.

He jumped up from his chair when he thought of something. Glancing down at the gun in his hand, he was suddenly reminded of his augmentation. He had un-imaginable powers and he was still carrying a weak pistol.

__

Useless scrap metal, I'll take care of them myself.

Piers smiled and tossed his handgun over the railing and into the acid disposal pool. As he watched it sizzle and dissolve, he became slightly aggravated by the facility's layout. For some reason, the geniuses who built it, thought that placing the security post in the waste disposal area was a good idea. Piers hated the smell of Yellow-6, that strong scent of alcohol and paint always gave him a headache.

He quickly erased the pointless thoughts from his mind and made his way over the metal catwalks that hugged the walls, just above him was what the other employees called "The Dump". Aptly named because it is the dump where all waste of the factory is stored before entering the yellow-6 treatment.

"The dump."

Piers thought of it as hell, where everything discarded and soiled was sent to be disposed of, everything from simple waste to broken machines, failed experiments, or people that had managed to cross Blair in the past. It was definitely no place a person should be.

Piers laughed silently to himself, the thought of dumping the bodies of Nathan, the others, and Markenson was sadistically amusing.

__

You'll get your chance soon enough

He felt another twitch in his right arm, then it slowly slid up and down his side. He smiled once again, feeling the power surge through him. The augmentation was powerful indeed, and Piers couldn't wait to test his newfound strength.

He stepped out of the acid disposal room and into the darker hallways, hell bent on destroying everyone, even if he had to destroy himself while doing so.

David led the way into the core of the factory, John and Ryan following close behind. Jarred looked all around him, the area was unlike anything he had ever seen. A bizarre pattern of steel pipes and metal grating catwalks hung over huge machines that were full of boiling chemicals. So many bridges intersecting and went to and from at least a hundred doorways in the vicinity.

"What the hell is this place?" Ryan asked.

"I told you, this is the processing rooms, this is where all of Blair's ingredients for it's products are condensed, basically this place will lead you to any point in the factory." David said, remembering when the room used to be full of cleaner troops, workers, and scientists, all in constant motion, each resembling worker bees, all busy at work for the greater evil that is Blair.

The clanging of their footsteps were almost smothered by the sizzling chemicals coming from below. Vanessa stared towards the bottom, they had to be at least sixty feet above the floor.

"What you don't know is, this factory extends deep underground, the top floors are mainly offices and a few assembly lines, right now we're at least a hundred feet under the earth's soil, the main laboratory is down even further" David said. "Think of it as an Ice berg, the size of the top may seem large, but it is only the tip, the real mass lies just beneath, beyond visibility, unseen."

"Well I guess you gotta hand it to them, they sure did fool a lot of people" Dwayne said, his eyes scanning the gigantic processing plant that spanned as far as the eyes could see.

"Yeah, but not anymore" David replied with a softer tone.

He looked at Alex who was walking slowly behind him, she wasn't a person of many words but he had a definite connection with her. She had cared for him, despite his obvious involvement with the company.

"You okay back there?" He called out to Alex.

She looked at him, seemingly surprised that he said something to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine, what about you?" She asked.

"I'll be a lot better once we're out of here" He replied with sincerity.

"Yeah, me too" She whispered.

David gave her a little smile and turned back around, walking forward on the catwalks, when the sound of someone else's voice rang out over the monstrous chamber.

"Why if it isn't the little children."

Everyone looked over the railing to see someone standing on another catwalk below them. They all knew instantly who it was.

"Piers!!!" Dwayne yelled.

David held his pistol over the hand-railing and fired multiple times, each shot narrowly missing the psychotic scientist.

"You fools know nothing, I'm not going to let you leave" Piers yelled back, his high shrilly voice hinting towards his growing mental instability.

"FUCK YOU!!!" Dwayne screamed, firing his 9mm. Several shots hit the bridge, the liquids below, and a few even hit Piers, but with no effect. "What the hell?" Dwayne thought to himself.

"Like I said, you know nothing, you are nothing, imbeciles who don't even deserve to look upon the power that I have acquired" Piers' words sending a chill over everyone standing on the bridge. "And like I said, I'm not letting you leave" Piers yelled.

With a quick flash, everyone watched him zip towards a large beam with inhuman speed. David was suddenly rushed with adrenaline and fear when he realized what Piers was going to do.

"RUN!!!" David yelled, sprinting down the catwalk towards the other side. Piers was going to knock down the very bridge they were on, sending them all to a horrific painful death in the chemicals below.

Everyone ran as fast as they could when the catwalk suddenly shook violently, sending Alex down onto the hard metal grating, David scooped her up and dragged her along as she regained her balance. Then with another violent rumble, the cables attaching the catwalks to the ceiling suddenly snapped, leaving only a few supports, one more hit and they would be dead.

"Move your asses" Jared yelled.

The other side was in sight, and not too far. Dwayne was the first to make it off the bridge, then Vanessa and Jarred.

CRASH!!!!

The catwalk supports snapped like twigs and in turn, the metal walkway began to fall. Ryan leapt towards the balcony as the ground from under him fell out. Dwayne grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him up.

"NOOOOOO" Vanessa yelled as she watched Winsor, Alex, David, and John fall along with the bridge. The metal bridge plummeted towards the chemicals below. David quickly spotted the other catwalk beneath him.

"JUMP" He yelled to everyone.

With a push off of the falling bridge, David clung to the safety railing of the standing scaffold, dangling ten feet above the surface. The large piece of metal that had once served as a bridge splashed into the liquids just under him, he felt a couple of drops hit his leg, burning a small hole in his pants. He was in some serious pain, the impact of his chest on the rail had ignited the old fiery pain of his bullet wounds. He looked over to see Winsor, John, and Alex, all hanging on the edge of the catwalk as well.

"GUYS, LOOK OUT!!!" screamed Vanessa from atop the railing.

John looked to his immediate right to see a demented Piers slowly walking towards them all.

__

Oh Fuck.

John brought his leg up trying to climb atop the catwalk. As Piers got closer, John could make out the horrifying sadistic grin that was upon his face. There was something else about him, something even more terrifying. His muscles were twitching.

As the madman walked even closer, a sudden shockwave fell over the whole facility, followed by a shrieking grind that must have been coming from the liquids under them. Piers struggled to keep his balance. David climbed over the guard rail and went to help Alex up, as he pulled her to safety, he noticed that Winsor and John had climbed over it as well, both of them face to face with the demented Piers. Suddenly, a huge explosion erupted from beneath them, engulfing the area with fire and dangerous chemicals. David led everyone away off the catwalk and out of the processing plant, into one of the factory's identical hallways. screeching alarms and crackling fire screamed behind them. As the plant shook, a huge air filter fell from the ceiling, knocking down the bridge with it, Piers was now separated from them, lucky, very lucky.

"Go, go on" David said to Winsor, Alex, and John.

"But David.." Alex began to say.

John latched onto her arm and pulled her along with him.

"Not now sister, god, why do I feel like the one that always breaks up these tender moments?" John said.

David watched them disappear around the corner and returned his eyes to the burning plant, standing among a shattered bridge was Piers.

"You can't run forever Sunderland, if I don't get you, then Judgment sure as hell will" Piers screamed.

David couldn't help but feel a little frightened by his words, he knew that Piers was the type to release some deadly Bio weapon that couldn't be stopped, in fact, he was about a hundred percent sure that it was now stalking around the facility. If so, then they were now in a gigantic maze, whatever the creature is, he knew that if they stayed in the factory too long, they would eventually have to deal with it.

He watched the sparks fly from the room, almost signaling another tremor from the malfunctioned machinery below. Piers started laughing crazily, his high chuckles resembling that of an over-excited child. David turned and ran down the hallway and away from the madman.

The other four survivors looked on below from the processing room, watching Piers virtually disappear. The area had been engulfed with fire, and they could barely see for the smoke.

"Holy shit, do you think they're alright" Asked a concerned Dwayne.

"Yeah, I think they'll be fine, we'll have to meet up with them along the way, they have David with them, he'll guide them all around the factory, they'll be safe" Jarred said.

"Um, Jarred, one question" Vanessa said.

"What is it?" He replied.

"What about us?" She asked.

She was right, they had no idea where they were in the factory, or no idea where the main laboratory was from there, the only reason they made it that far was because David acted as a guide. And now they were stuck to wander around a large factory aimlessly, with two madmen on the prowl.

"Good thing I found the elevator" Nathan said to himself as he pushed the button for the second floor. This way, he could travel floor to floor safely without having to run around the facility, locating stairwells. Whoever designed the building was either a total genius or an absolute whacko.

And considering the Blair Corporation, it would make perfect sense.

Stairways were all separated from each other, and so where the elevators, all the obvious spots you'd think things would be at, were somewhere completely different. The whole place looked like a psychopathic, heretic architect from the nineteenth century built a modern-day factory for an evil company. All he knew was that once he found the power system for the emergency elevator, he could find everyone else and then get the hell out of there.

The elevator doors slid by, revealing another metallic tinted hallway, the same as he had seen going through the entire factory. The same stench of chemicals and death, but so far, the halls were friendly. He still had no idea where the Judgment was, and didn't want to know, he hoped that neither he nor the others would run into that monster.

Nathan carefully stepped down the hallway, nothing but silence and the buzzing of overhead lights. He had gotten off on the second floor, and knew that all the floors in the complex revolved around the processing area, which was practically the core of the place, everything mechanical was there, and he was guessing, that was where he would find the power supply station.

__

Keep in mind Nath, the processing area is dangerous, full of chemicals, and highly unstable.

He let out a sigh and continued to walk. Even though the processing room was risky, he knew that it held all the keys to their survival and escape. He picked up his pace down the hall, from where he was now, he didn't know where he'd come out in the processing room, but he knew that he had to find it...

"Well, do you know where we are?" Asked John, wiping the sweat form his forehead.

David didn't respond for a second, his thoughts so encompassing, John's words seemed muted.

"HEY!!!" John yelled.

"What? What is it?" David asked.

"Do you know where the hell we are?" Asked a more frustrated John.

David looked at their surroundings, they were all standing in a greenish hallway, signs of algae forming on the walls with rusted pipes wrapping around the un-clean walls.

"We're near the waste management and treatment area" David responded.

Alex looked all around her, the halls were winding and dark.

"Its also where the main security and surveillance post is, we can check the monitors for any sign of the others" David responded.

"Alright then, let's go" John said.

David took lead, everyone following close behind. Alex stuck close to him, the dizzying smell of alcohol causing a slight pain in the temples of her head. The ground was a hard slick concrete, wet with either water or some cleaning chemical, all in all, it reminded her of the tunnels under Warren High, minus the stagnated water. A few turns to the right and to the left, the hallways were too dark to notice what direction you were going in, all that was remotely visible was the faint lighting along the ceiling.

After a few minutes of walking, they came to a mechanical door marked "Treatment level 3"

"This is the disposal, keep your guard up, who the hell knows what could be in there" David said cocking his handgun.

He grabbed the door latch and with a short whir, it opened. John walked through and was startled at what he saw. He had stepped out onto a catwalk facing a monstrous circular pit. Looking down, he saw that it housed a yellowish chemical.

The bridge clung to the grayish walls, turning right and left and intersecting back to some kind of work area on the other side.

John gripped the hand rail and looked into the acidic liquid. He felt a wave of hot air hit him in the face as the pool below churned and boiled.

"Wow" He whispered.

"Capable of disintegrating matter and breaking it down into nothing" David said, joining him by the railing. "See that up there?" David pointed to the ceiling above the well.

John focused his attention towards the ceiling, it was about twenty feet high, and had a series of gears and compartments detailing its surface.

"Just above the disposal here is the dumping grounds, there are a series of chutes connecting all the way from the area's facilities, Blair dumps all the garbage there, chemicals, failed experiments...People" David said.

John glanced over to David who was staring mindlessly into the steaming chemical, below. His mind obviously somewhere else other than there. He could only imagine what thoughts were swirling in David's mind, he was the only one of the group who truly knew what Blair was capable of, what dangers this facility held within.

Winsor and Alex both walked down the scaffolding that clung to the left wall. Winsor wanted to check out that work area. Just ahead was a giant control console mounted to the wall, at least four leather seats sat at the edge. The wall in front of it appeared to be nothing but security monitors, each one flashing nothing but static. The area was full of wires and cables that hung down by the flashing screens, it all had a very dark tone to it, kind of like the cockpit of an alien mother ship in some modern day sci-fi flick. It gave off an eerie feeling, one that even Winsor could feel.

__

What the hell is this place?

She sat down in one of the chairs and studied the keyboard. It was stained with blood, but appeared to be in working order. She bit her lower lip and scanned the computer screen in front of her. A window popped up on the blue screen with a list of commands.

/FCLY LOC = "DISPOSAL" CMMD ="OFF"

/FCLY LOC = "PROCESS" CMMD ="OFF"

/FCLY LOC = "TESTING" CMMD ="OFF"

/FCLY LOC = "LAB" CMMD ="OFF"

/FCLY LOC = "LAB 1" CMMD ="OFF"

/FCLY LOC = "LAB 2" CMMD ="OFF"

/FCLY LOC = "LAB 3" CMMD ="OFF"

/FCLY LOC = "OFFICE A" CMMD ="OFF"

/FCLY LOC = "OFFICE B" CMMD ="OFF"

/FCLY LOC = "OFFICE C" CMMD ="OFF"

/FCLY LOC = "ASSM. LINE" CMMD ="OFF"

/FCLY LOC = "C. FIELD" CMMD ="OFF"

/FCLY LOC = "GRNDS" CMMD ="OFF"

/FCLY LOC = "EVAC" CMMD ="OFF"

Winsor thought for a second about the commands and choices. It looked like the options controlled the security monitors, whoever was there last, had obviously forgotten to close the program. Winsor highlighted the first option.

"What are you doing?" Alex asked, looking over Winsor's shoulder, her child-like features glowing in the green light emitting from the computer screen.

"I'm trying to turn the surveillance cameras back on" Winsor responded, not taking her eyes off the screen.

She finally found what she was looking for.

RESTORE /FCLY LOC = "DISPOSAL"?

Winsor clicked yes and just above her, one of the monitors displayed an image. It looked like the camera was positioned above the entrance to the room they were in, John and David could be seen still standing there. There was also an option to view other areas of the disposal plant, there were about six other cameras well within the room. Blair sure did know how to keep track on things. Winsor clicked them all and watched the monitor change, showing different angles of the disposal.

"We can find everyone else with this" Winsor said. She began restoring all the other monitors, still a bit surprised as to why she cared so much about the others. She couldn't hide the fact that she was hoping to find Nathan alive on one of those monitors.

"Hey, you've got the monitors working" Came David's voice from behind her chair, startling her. "How'd you do it?"

"Well, it isn't really doing it, if someone didn't leave the commands running, I couldn't be doing anything" She replied.

All four of the survivors stood at the foot of the massive wall of monitors, watching as each picture changed to different areas of the factory. Some places familiar, some unseen.

"Hey, wait a minute, look" John said, spotting something on one of them.

Winsor took notice of the screen and enlarged it to cover all monitors, there must have been about thirty of them, for one gigantic image.

The camera was in an "Office B" hallway. Winsor clicked the commands to change angles and she nearly shouted with joy as to what she saw, it was Nathan, casually walking up the hallway. She couldn't help but smile, he was alive. She had to get to him.

"How can we get there?" She asked excitedly.

John looked at her with an expression of surprise.

"Well, since the bridge from the processing area is out, the only way out of here would be...through the dump" David sighed.

"What's the dump?" Alex asked.

"The dumping area is connected to many garbage shoots around this whole facility, from the testing grounds to the main laboratory, once something, uh, or someone is trashed, it all goes to the dumping area where it awaits the chemical treatment, I have no idea what the hell could be up there, a lot of crazy things happened when the outbreak occurred...But I'd be prepared for anything" David explained. "The elevator is right over there" He added, nodding his head towards the right of the console board.

"Okay, but how do we get out of the treatment area from there?" John asked, folding his arms and leaning against the controls.

"There is another elevator in there that will take you up to the disposal command, and from there, you can regain access to the main factory" He said.

"So is the dump inoperable?" Winsor asked from her chair.

"Well, I do know that before the outbreak occurred, it was manually set for twice a day, but I don't know now" David responded.

"Well come on, lets get going" Winsor said impatiently.

Everyone gave each other a little non-verbal agreement and silently walked over to the elevator. The metallic rusting elevator doors appeared to be covered with some kind of slime that Winsor could only guess was a condensation from the decomposing acid behind them. She placed her hand on the lever and moved it down. A loud rusty grind signaled that the elevator was on its way down, and the group waited anxiously by the double doors.

"You guys, I've got a bad feeling about this" John said with a noticeable hint of fear in his trembling voice.

"Yeah, with everything that's happened, this isn't really the first place I'd want to be" David agreed.

"I don't know, something doesn't feel right about this at all" John reiterated..

"Well, uh, forgive me for being cynical, but..." Winsor started to say but was interrupted by John.

"You? Cynical? No..." John cracked.

Winsor was going to say something about how they haven't been exactly running around with chipper feelings all week, (or however long it was that they've been there) but his retorting sarcasm aggravated her to much to finish her sentence.

With a larger clamor, the elevator doors slid open, squeaking as they trembled apart from one another.

"Whatever, just fucking get on the lift" Winsor sneered.

Winsor, Alex, David, and John boarded the elevator, feeling the floor give in a bit as they stepped onto what felt like thin sheet metal.

"No, seriously, was there something you were going to say Winsor?" John sarcastically asked.

Winsor scowled at John, who found it all quite funny.

"Ouch, that hurts" John said, pushing the switch for the next floor.

The doors boisterously closed and the same grinding of gears sounded them off as the lift ascended into the dumping grounds...

The jolting of the corroded motor caused the rickety elevator to come to a stop, and the doors opened slowly. Winsor stepped out and into a small stained hallway. Her footprints splashed in puddles of something she didn't really want to know about. The filthy hallway turned to the left just a few feet ahead of her. A horrible feeling swelled deep within her stomach as the odor of decay and rotting meat clogged her sinuses. She clutched her handgun tightly, holding it directly in front of her, ready for anything that might jump out from around the corner. The cautious footsteps of the others trailed on behind her.

Winsor took a deep breath and held it in.

__

Here we go.

She quickly turned the corner. What laid before her was something she couldn't have prepared herself for. A warehouse sized room with steel, filthy walls that housed a garbage heap of corpses and other unspeakable sights. The buzzing of flies set the most disturbing atmosphere for the most grotesque place she's seen yet.

She didn't want to breathe, not knowing what she could contract from the fowl contaminated air.

"Jesus Christ" John exclaimed, staring at the mass of death around him.

Winsor didn't even notice the others standing closely behind her.

David quietly walked out from behind her, unscathed by the obvious collection of death that surrounded them.

"See that?" David pointed up towards the ceiling.

Everyone looked up to see a triangle of connected bridges that rose at least seventy feet above them. The shadow of a large industrial sized fan circled the whole dump.

"That'll take us back to the main lab, now lets try to get out of here quickly...The smell is terrible" David said with his usual cold tone.

Winsor stepped out onto the solid metal floor, trying her best to somehow turn off her brain, trying to kill off the thoughts that accompanied a nauseating sight like the one before her.

As they walked through and around the twisted heap of repugnance, John stared at everything as he walked by. Just to his left, laying on a blood-stained piece of metal was the remains of a hunter, half its head and arm missing. About a foot to the dead hunter's right was a mutilated man in a lab coat. His entrails lay scattered among a pool of dried blood, and his own lap. He sat propped up by the pile of dead bodies and creatures, his remaining eye still open, staring right in John's direction.

He shuddered, taking his eyes away from the dead scientist, even though the room was full of similar imagery. On the other side was a slew of dead Cleaner troops, each of them had blood stains around their heads, obvious bullet wounds.

CRASH

"What the hell?" She screamed, turning to face the noise.

Two corpses had fallen off one of the trash piles and tumbled to the ground, their mangled and broken bodies making a wet thud on the floor. Everyone stared at them for a while, just waiting for them to arise to their feet...but they never did.

"Stupid shit" Winsor closed her eyes and sighed, the whole area gave her strange vibes and she was really jumpy, she turned back around and continued walking.

Then, another similar noise.

Winsor started trembling, she turned around again, this time to see the pile of corpses and waste pulse and shift.

"What's going on?" She asked out loud, staring at the moving pile.

"What the hell is that?" John yelled, running back to her side.

Suddenly, a figure arose from the mess, pieces of broken metal and torn articles of clothing falling from it's misshapen body, Winsor saw a series of bullet wounds all over it and wondered what it -

__

-Oh my god, It isn't dead...

From the heap of mangled bodies and creatures, stood the Nemesis. It's body severely mutated, several pieces of scrap metal and other materials were impaled through its skin, it barely even resembled the creature they had come to familiarize themselves with.

"Won't that goddamn thing die?" Alex screamed.

"It isn't meant to die, that's its design, its meant to seek and destroy, no matter what damage is done to itself, there isn't any stopping it" David clenched his teeth, feeling his seething hatred for Piers consume him.

The Nemesis took one step, the weight of it's torso forcing it to bend down as it walked, it's upper torso resembled an odd insect. A dozen of what looked like, beady black eyes pulsated from a huge mandible dripping with saliva.

The distorted Nemesis took another step towards them, letting out a series of low hissing growls.

"No, not this time" John yelled, pulling out his shotgun and unloading round after round into the monster.

Purple and red fluids emitted from the creature as its flesh was cut and torn from the shotgun blasts. It quickly made its way towards John. Winsor fired the handgun, round after round into the infected clump that now must have been the monster's head. Small splats of blood poured from the minor wounds, it wasn't enough. David fired the desert eagle at the monster, watching the powerful .50 rounds tear fluids from the creature's body.

The monster let out a high-pitched wail and then struck John in the stomach with it's left arm.

"JOHN!!!!" Alex yelled, taking her aim off of the creature as John went flying backwards into a garbage pile.

John was hurt badly, the nemesis packed a deadly punch.

"Ughhhh" He mumbled, clutching his left side. He knew he had at least two broken ribs and if he was lucky, only a dislocated shoulder, but he got back up to continue the fight. his hands trembling and his eyes tearing up from the trauma, he started firing again, each shot just knocking the monster back a few more feet.

The Nemesis leaned backwards and wailed towards the ceiling, signaling another attack. David felt the recoil of each blast as he fired into the beast, it quickly sprinted towards John once again.

"FUCK YOU!!!" John yelled squeezing the trigger and pumping the shotgun rapidly.

The monster swept down a tentacle and gripped John with its tight grasp, lifting him into the air. The pain was unbearable, he was on the verge of passing out when the creature threw him backwards. He landed on the metal ground, his face splashing down in a pool of a foul tasting liquid. He was too damaged to move, he bravely began to accept the inevitable. Winsor, David, and Alex's assault was doing no good against the malformed monster, each shot was as ineffective as the first. Then suddenly, a siren rang out over the room, followed by an automated female's voice

"Proceeding with Bio waste decomposition, please evacuate the garbage area"

The message repeated itself, and the alarms began to wail.

"We need to get out of here or else we're going for a little swim" David yelled.

Winsor bravely ran past the Nemesis and over to John.

"Are you okay?" Winsor asked.

"G-Get out of here" John replied, blood trickling down his chin.

"What? No, we can't leave you behind" She said, a look of concern on her face.

"Heh, heh, w-wow, that's surprising to hear...c-coming from you" He struggled to say. "Don't w-worry, its alright, just get out of here, I'll distract the thing so y-you guys can leave...I'm not going anywhere" John said.

Winsor's stomach seemed to jump up into her throat with John's words, her nerves causing her to shake.

"But...No, you've made it this far" Winsor said.

"E-ever since I met up with everyone, I just w-w-wanted to help, and now I can, y-you can get out of here, you can get out and start over, but you can't if you don't leave now" John said, tears running down his cheeks.

"No..." Winsor whispered.

Then John's sense of hopelessness faded into a smile.

"D-don't worry, a-a-at least I'll take that mother fucker with me" John raised up, grabbing his shotgun again.

"Go, get out now" John said.

"I'm sorry John, I'm sorry I treated you the way I have, I...I don't..." Winsor tried to say something.

"Don't worry about it Samantha, everything is okay, just get out of here, tell everyone I said goodbye and tell them all to lead wonderful lives...so this won't be in vain" John said, his words actually having an impact on Winsor.

"Goodbye John...Thank you, I'll never forget you" Winsor said taking one last look at her courageous friend.

"Catch ya on the flipside" John said wittily. "HEY, STUPID!!!!" He yelled towards the Nemesis. He stumbled up behind it and started firing, distracting it from David, Winsor, and Alex. Winsor ran by them and towards the elevator on the other side, hearing shotgun blasts and obscenities being yelled behind her.

"What about John?" Alex asked as they ran to the end of the dump.

Winsor didn't say a word, and neither did David, he knew what was going on, he knew that John wasn't coming back, and surprising enough to him, he was actually upset about it. John had been there from the beginning, and David always thought that he'd be there till the end.

They got to the elevator on the other side and all stepped inside, watching John bravely fight a battle that was about to be lost by both contestants. The doors slid by, cutting off their view of their friend John, it would be the last time they would ever see him again.

"COME ON" John yelled as the sirens grew even louder.

The monster knocked over piles of broken machines and waste, stomping towards John, delivering a few more hits from it's powerful fists.

"Is that all you've got, pussy?" John laughed, despite the chronic pain.

He aimed towards the large jaw of the creature and fired inside, watching red blood ooze from the throat of the beast. "Biological waste decomposition process to begin in...5...4...3...2..1"

With the end of the transmission, a tremor shook the metal floor, and the two sides of the floor slowly began to drop out from under the room, the hills of bodies tilting and falling towards the center.

The monster struggled to stand, moving it's colossal insect like head around, almost seeming like it was confused as to what was happening, John liked to think that.

"YOU LOSE SHIT HEAD" John screamed towards the Nemesis as the ground dropped out, sending everything in the room, him, and the Nemesis into the depths of the decomposition pool underneath them. John laughed out loud as he fell, proud that he had a part in finally killing the Nemesis and avenging some of the deaths that it and all of Blair had been accountable for, and then, in an instant, it was all over. Everything hit the surface of the yellow-6 and a large wave of gray steam erupted into the air above the rippling pool, after the contents dissolved, the yellow-6 rippled peacefully, the sirens silenced, the gunshots and screams no longer ringing out, just that old eerie sound of machines and churning...

The scenery gradually changed from rusted steel and steam to hallways with a more sterile white tint. Jarred led the way down the unknown corridors, luckily they had found the main research facility, now all they had to do was find Nathan.

The hallways were stacked with boxes all displaying the Blair insignia, their signature purple D. N. A. strain with the words Blair written directly below it.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Dwayne asked out of curiosity.

"Where Piers might have Nathan and then when we find him, we make sure Piers and Markenson die slow horrible deaths, and then we head out of here" Jarred said.

"Sounds good with me, I owe that bastard a thing or two anyways" Dwayne said, his ribs still aching from his confrontation with Piers.

"Wait, did you just hear that?" Vanessa whispered, shutting everyone up.

"What is it?" Jarred asked.

Vanessa stood in silence, when everyone began hearing the noise too. Ahead of them, the hall intersected in a T-shape, and somewhere around one of those corners, footsteps could be heard getting closer and closer. Jarred and Dwayne both gripped their guns tightly, Ryan aimed his assault rifle towards the end of the hall as well. The noise persisted and all of a sudden, a gigantic hulk came around the corner. It turned and faced them, its features resembling a statue, and it was standing as still as one.

The creature's shape resembled a human, but it's flesh looked like stone, two muscular arms sprouted from its broad shoulders, and a blank stare sat upon its hairless head. It looked like a statue of some mythological deity. It stood perfectly still, its cold soulless gaze focusing on the four teenagers that stood before it.

"What is that?" Ryan asked.

"I don't fucking know, but I don't think its looking to make friends" Dwayne said aiming his pistol at the towering creature.

He fired off about four rounds, each one not even making a scratch on the motionless beast. Ryan, Jarred, and Vanessa both joined in, the four teens unleashed a barrage of firepower. The creature stood as still as ever, small sparks flying off it's body as each bullet seemed to bounce off of it.

Everyone stopped shooting, their adrenaline and fear began to engulf them but they kept as still as the creature before them, paralyzed by their fear. Then, it took one step forward and the ground seemed to shake.

"We've got to get out of here" Jarred said, taking a few steps back.

The godlike demon took another monstrous step.

Dwayne saw a doorway just up ahead to the left...a few feet in front of the creature.

"Get to that door before it gets any closer, come on, now" Dwayne said running for the door. As he reached the doorway, he was face to face with the monster, up close he could see how towering it really was, standing at least eight feet tall, Dwayne felt his body go limp as he jumped through the doorway and into the room. Jarred, Vanessa, and Ryan took off running towards the door as the creature stepped forward again. Jarred and Vanessa ran as fast as they could, keeping their eyes on the hulk the whole time. It slowly raised it's arm into the air as Ryan ran by, then he felt the ground launch him into the air and into the room as the statue like beast leveled half the wall and the floor. A heap of broken concrete and dust flew from the walls.

"Holy fuck, what is that thing?" Ryan said as he scrambled to his feet.

The four stood inside the small lab, it looked like it was an examination room, but it wasn't big enough to give them the safety they oh so desired at the moment. The creature outside stepped into the room with them, its dark gray silhouette shone through the floating dust. Jarred frantically tried to come up with a plan when he saw a huge vial containing a green liquid, on one of the tables. He had no idea what it was, but it was the only thing he could think of. He jumped forward to the table, took hold of the vial, and with one swift move, chucked it towards the monster. The glass shattered against the creature's head and sent the green substance splattering all over it's upper body, it instantly recoiled as white smoke arose from where it was wounded.

Everyone saw their chance and ran past the monster and through the door they came in, as Dwayne ran, his arm grazed the monster, the touch was almost electrical, sending a huge shiver through him, the monster felt as hard as a rock. Dwayne dove out of the room and down the hall the monster was once guarding, Vanessa and Ryan following. Jarred still stood in the room with the creature, watching as the smoke faded away, revealing multiple burns on it's face and abdomen. His body noticeably shaking, he lunged at the doorway as the monster took another swing, this time its arm crushing one of the tables in the room. The sound of cracking wood and snapping metal made Jarred scream out several obscenities as he ran, with each step, he thought about how that table could have been him. He landed in the crater the monster just created in the hallway, his legs frantically shoving him forward as far away from the thing as he could get. Once he was running and down the hall, his heart slowed to a more normal pace and he met up with everyone else.

"What the hell was that?" Vanessa asked, breathing heavily.

"I have no idea, but whatever it is, its something we're not really well equipped to handle right now" Ryan responded.

"Right now? Fuck that, I'm getting as far away from that as possible" Dwayne said.

A series of tremors indicated that the monster was back on the prowl.

"Lets go" Dwayne said running further down one of the corridors, everyone following suite.

The four sped down the hallways, twisting and turning down the maze of storage rooms, offices, and small laboratories.

"An elevator" Vanessa pointed out up ahead.

CRAASHHHHH

A huge clamor sounded and with that came a huge set of constant quakes. The group picked up their speed and ran faster towards the elevator doors. Vanessa hit the switch and luck was truly on their side, the doors opened and they all stepped in, pushing the door close button. As the metallic doors began to slide by, they saw a huge gray blur turn the corner up ahead and charge towards them.

"JESUS CHRIST!!!!" Ryan yelled, rapidly pushing the door close switch.

The monster charged towards the elevator at a rapid speed. The doors closed but it was too late, it was already on the other side. The elevator shook violently as a massive dent formed in the doors. The lift kicked into motion, but another blow split the doors and violently shook the elevator.

"SUNUVABITCH!!!" Ryan yelled.

As the elevator started its descent down, they could tell something was wrong, a loud scraping sounded outside of the lift and the whole thing shook.

"Shit" Jarred said looking at everyone in the elevator, they all seemed to know what was fixing to happen.

SNAP

The elevator cable had snapped, sending Jarred, Vanessa, Ryan, and Dwayne hurtling towards the bottom of the shaft.

In an instant the elevator connected with the bottom of the shaft and sent the four survivors to the ground. Once the vibrations stopped, everyone was on the ground, and in serious amounts of pain.

"Good god..." Vanessa whimpered, tightly gripping her head.

Jarred didn't seem to be hurt at all, he climbed to his feet and ran over to Vanessa.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Heh, what do you think, the elevator just fucking fell..." Vanessa said as she noticed him standing, very much un-scathed by another one of their brushes with death. The thought of his...super skeleton whatever thing had crossed her mind and she forced a lighter tone.

"I don't know, I kind of messed up my head" She said softly.

"Ugh...ow...No Vanessa, your head was messed up long before that happened" Ryan said, lying on his back with his eyes closed, the tone in his voice not even a humorous one.

Jarred couldn't help but snicker, and instead of smacking him, Vanessa laughed with them, after all, they had just escaped death for the millionth time so far.

"Well, we better get out of here before that monster finds his way back down here" Jarred said, staring up at the gapping hole in the elevator ceiling.

Ryan laid face down, his nose touching the cold steel of the elevator floor, he didn't want to get up, he just wanted to lie there until all the pain went away, but Jarred was right, that thing was far more dangerous than the Nemesis, it had an uncanny and horrific strength that could easily tear them all to shreds. Ryan pushed his body up with his hands and forced himself to stand up. Dwayne crawled up from the ground and Vanessa stood back up.

"Well, how do we get out of here?" Dwayne asked staring up towards the hole in the ceiling.

"Well, we climb the walls and try to get in through one of the doors up there" Ryan pointed.

"God, I don't want to climb" Dwayne groaned.

"Shut up and give me a boost" Vanessa said, walking over towards Dwayne, he lifted her up towards the ceiling and she crawled onto the top of the demolished elevator...


End file.
